Dry, warm season expected

We finally received a good taste of summer late last month as temperatures soared to record and near-record levels. At Spokane International Airport on June 29 and 30 it was 97 degrees.

The hot weather was a big contrast to the first 15 days of June. Very cool and wet conditions had many of us wondering if summer was ever going to arrive. In some parts of the Inland Northwest, the early part of June was the coolest on record. During that time, the average, or mean temperature, was 5.26 degrees below normal in Spokane. The last 15 days of June had an average reading of 2.16 degrees above normal. As of early Tuesday, July has started off warm with a mean temperature of more than 5 degrees above normal.

As mentioned in previous articles, I expect a relatively dry and warm summer season, but there will be some occasional and scattered thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours. Although it will be hot at times, I don’t expect to see this year rank in the top five in terms of heat and dryness.

The warmest average temperature (includes both the high and low) for June, July and August occurred in 1922 with a reading of 71.3 degrees at Spokane International Airport. More recently, 1998 was the seventh warmest with a summer mean temperature of 69.9. The normal is 66.3 degrees.

The peak of Earth’s temperature occurred in 1998 with an average reading of 59.3 degrees. That year was also one of the hottest summers across the Inland Northwest. During that time, there were 38 days at or above 90, second only to 39 days in 1958 in Spokane. We also sweltered through four days at or above 100 degrees in 1998 as well. And, the average high for July in 1998 was 89.6 degrees. The hottest month occurred in July of 1960 with an average high of 91.5 at Spokane International Airport.

Last year, we endured 22 days at or above 90 degrees with two days at or above 100 degrees. July of 2007 had 16 days at or above 90, with the hottest weather observed on July 5 and 13 with a reading of 101.

The rest of the summer season should be both warmer and drier than usual for the most part. There will be lots of sunny days with afternoon highs in the 85- to 95-degree ranges.

The cooler cycle that we’ve been in during the past 18 months or so may mean that we will see few, if any, days this summer of 2008 with readings above 100.