While not a constant worry, the heat was certainly on for the month of July.
Record highs were noted periodically during the month. This included records marked in Russell, Kansas, and Borger, Texas, with highs of 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle of July. That same day Dalhart, Texas, hit 107 for a new daily record.
On the same day, the Russell airport also measured an 85 miles per hour wind gust as severe storms rolled through. Storm reports stated that power poles were snapped there during the storm.
Rain bands from Hurricane Beryl led to flooding in Texas as it made landfall July 8. The hurricane also left millions without power, some for continued days following the storm as heat building back in after the hurricane led to added concerns.
In the global view, ENSO-neutral conditions are in place. They are expected to remain into the next few months with a change to La Niña forecast during the fall months. Once that change occurs, we can expect La Niña to stay for winter.
Continuing to look ahead, August will likely feature above average temperatures for the entire middle section of the country.
While eastern Texas will likely see precipitation add up to above normal, the contrary (below normal numbers) will be
true for the Texas panhandle along with western Oklahoma and all of Kansas and Nebraska.
The same will hold true for precipitation for those same areas for the longer term (through October).
Temperatures will likely be warmer than average still through October for the southern and central Plains.
The lack of rain in the coming months will likely lead to continued or developing drought conditions for western areas of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
I’m always keeping an eye to the sky (and the weather patterns), so watch for September’s update.
Editor’s note: Regina Bird grew up on a farm near Belleville, Kansas. The views from the farm helped spur her interest in weather. Following high school, she went on to get a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from the University of Kansas. She worked as a television meteorologist for nine years in Nebraska. Follow her on Twitter: @ReginaBirdWX.
