Rain and temperature extremes mark month of June

June was another month of extremes across the Inland Northwest.

From June 1 to 16, only 0.11 inches of moisture fell at the Spokane International Airport. Then, from June 17 to 21, a whopping 1.37 inches of rain fell, including 1.12 inches on June 20. More rain continued to fall through the end of the month bringing June’s precipitation total to 1.86 inches. That was 0.61 inches above normal, an impressive finish after such a dry start.

In terms of temperature, despite the 91 degree reading on Sunday, the average reading for last month was 61.7 degrees. That was 0.4 degrees below average. The beginning of June started out quite warm with highs in the 80s from June 5 through 7. By June 18, the average reading tumbled to below normal levels. The coolest days were on June 19 and 20. Daytime high temperatures managed to hit 55 degrees on June 19 and only 50 degrees on June 20.

Early this week, the big heat in the Western U.S. made headlines. On Monday, the high temperature at our airport soared to 99 degrees. As of this Tuesday morning, readings were expected to flirt with the 100 degree mark in the afternoon.

Although, it’s very hot here in the Inland Northwest, temperatures have been much hotter in the Southwest. On Sunday, Las Vegas tied its all-time high temperature of 117 degrees at the airport. That temperature was previously reached on July 24, 1942, and July 19, 2005. The normal high in Las Vegas at this time of year is 103 degrees.

Death Valley, Calif., soared to 129 degrees on Sunday. Death Valley now holds the record with Volcano, Calif., for the hottest June temperature in history. Volcano hit 129 degrees on June 23, 1902.

The highest-ever recorded air temperature in the world was also Death Valley, on July 10, 1913, with a high of 134 degrees.

It still looks as if we’ll see a pattern of drier-than-normal weather between now and at least the middle of September. However, there will be some isolated showers or thunderstorms at times, mainly over the higher mountains. The recent rains have increased the foliage in our region, which could increase the chances for a tough fire season in our region.

Be safe and have a happy Fourth of July!