Extreme heat, cold felt around world in July
July was the driest in history at the Spokane International Airport as only a trace amount of moisture was recorded. The normal precipitation for July is 0.64 inches.
The average temperature last month was 73.9, which was 4.1 degrees above normal. The first day of the month was also the hottest, with a reading of 99 degrees. There were 14 days at or above 90 degrees, including a 10-day streak beginning July 17.
We were not the only ones experiencing very hot temperatures last month. One of the worst heat waves in more than a decade sent readings into the 90s and lower 100s across the Midwest and Northeast in mid-July. Extreme heat was felt in the Southwest as Death Valley soared to temperatures near 130 degrees, only 4 degrees lower than the all-time hottest temperature in the world, also recorded at Death Valley.
In the East, heavy rains fell.
On July 28, Philadelphia reported 8.26 inches of rain in one day. More than 7 inches fell during a four-hour period. The previous all-time record for a single day rainfall set was during Tropical Storm Floyd on Sept. 16, 1999. On that day, 6.63 inches of rain fell in 24 hours. At Gloucester City, N.J., about 7 inches of rain fell within 3 hours.
Summer floods hit parts of North Carolina. Heavy rain pushed into the Charlotte area early on July 27 and dumped more than 12 inches of rain in Catawba County. The National Weather Service radar estimated totals of 10 to 12 inches in that region.
The Southern Hemisphere has been dealing with rare snows and very cold weather. About two weeks ago, a strong cold snap hit southern Chile and Argentina. A snowstorm in Chile was one of the worst in 30 years and left more than 2 feet of snow on the ground.
Nearly every province in Argentina has experienced at least a little snow this season, an unusual event. In some places, it was the first snow in living memory.
In Australia, snow and chilly weather was reported near Melbourne. Yet Melbourne also recorded its hottest July, with the temperature rising to 74 degrees one day, about 15 degrees above average.