Did July Seem Cooler Than Normal in the Rochester Area?
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - To no one's surprise, the National Weather Service is reporting the month of July was significantly drier than normal in the Rochester area but it was also cooler than normal.
The average temperature for the month was 69.4 degrees, with cooler-than-normal nights offsetting the slightly warmer-than-normal days. The National Weather Service says a developing El Niño weather system kept temperatures modestly lower. The agency also says the ongoing drought resulted in lower dew points, which made the nighttime hours cooler. Overall the average temperature was just over one-degree cooler than the 10-year normal, making it the coolest July since 2014.
Rain continued to be scarce and July. The precipitation total measured at the Rochester Airport was only 2.18 inches, which is just over 2 inches under the 10-year normal of nearly 4.2 inches.
The rainfall deficit for the past two months is now above 6 inches and the June-July period is listed as the eighth driest on record in Rochester. The lack of rain created extreme drought conditions throughout most of Olmsted County by the end of last month, marking the first time since January 2004 that Rochester has experienced extreme drought conditions.
