Monthly Report Summary Information

National Summary Information - June 2013

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Contiguous U.S. experiences warmer and wetter-than-average June

The Lower-48 had its 15^th warmest and 13^th wettest June on record. The East was wet, while drought and wildfires impacted the West. Alaska experienced 3^rd warmest June.

The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during June was 70.4°F, 2.0°F above the 20^thcentury average. The western U.S. and the East Coast were warmer than average, while much of the central and southeastern U.S. had near-average temperatures.

The nationally averaged precipitation total for June was 3.43 inches — 0.54 inch above the 20^thcentury average. However, drought continued to impact the West and parts of the Central and Southern Plains, and wildfires charred more than 1.2 million acres nationwide.

Significant climate events for June 2013.
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Note: The June Monthly Climate Report for the United States has several pages of supplemental information and data regarding some of the weather/climate events from the month and spring season.

U.S. climate highlights: June

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  June 2013 Statewide Temperature (top) and Precipitation (bottom) ranks
  The western U.S. was Near-average temperatures stretched from the Northern Plains, through the Midwest, and into the Southeast.
• Alaska was much warmer than average during June, with a statewide temperature 4.0°F above the 1971-2000 average and the third-warmest June in its 96-year period of record. A heat wave during the third week of the month brought temperatures in excess of 90°F to parts of the state, breaking daily record high temperatures at many locations.
• The Ohio Valley and East Coast were much Delaware precipitation total of 10.94 inches was 7.29 inches above average.
• Utah was record dry with a statewide precipitation total of just 0.01 inch, 0.66 inch below average.
• Tropical Storm Andrea — the first tropical cyclone of the 2013 North Atlantic hurricane season — made landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast on June 6 with sustained winds of 65 miles per hour. The storm caused only minor damage as it moved through the Southeast, with the largest impacts being coastal flooding and weak tornadoes.
• During June, approximately 4,000 wildfires charred more than 1.2 million acres, mostly across the western U.S. and Alaska. The number of fires was below average, while the acreage burned was above average. The Black Forest Fire, which burned more than 14,000 acres near Colorado Springs, Colo., destroyed more than 500 homes, and, according to preliminary assessments, is the most destructive wildfire in state history in terms of property loss. The Yarnell Hill Fire, near Prescott, Ariz., destroyed more than 8,400 acres and was responsible for 19 firefighter fatalities.
• According to the July 2 U.S. Drought Monitor report, 44.1 percent of the contiguous U.S experienced drought conditions, the same size footprint as early June. Drought remained entrenched throughout much of the West and into the Central and Southern Plains. All locations east of the Mississippi River were drought free for the first time since May 2005.

U.S. climate highlights: year-to-date (January-June)

January–June 2013 Statewide Precipitation ranks
• The year-to-date contiguous U.S. temperature of 48.1°F was 0.5°F above the 20^thcentury average. Below-average temperatures were observed throughout the Mississippi River Valley from Minnesota to Mississippi.
• The nationally average precipitation total of 15.71 inches for the first half of 2013 (January-June) was 0.87 inch above average and the 28^th wettest year-to-date period in the nation's 119-year period of record. Rainfall was not evenly distributed across the country, however. wet precipitation extremes were observed in the East.
• Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, and New Mexico each had January-June precipitation totals ranking among their 10 lowest. California had its driest first six months of the year with a precipitation total of 4.46 inches, 9.80 inches below average and 1.51 inches less than the previous record dry January–June of 1984.