Record precipitation, tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires impacted the U.S.; four new billion-dollar weather and climate disasters were confirmed in July
Key Points:
- The average temperature of the contiguous U.S. in July was 75.7°F, 2.1°F above average, ranking 11th warmest in the 130-year record.
- The Park Fire is the fourth-largest wildfire in California history as of August 6; beginning on July 24, it burned approximately 401,000 acres and destroyed over 560 structures.
- On July 15, a derecho that spawned 32 tornadoes broke the Chicago-area record for most tornadoes in a day.
- On July 1, Beryl became the earliest Category 5 hurricane and the second Category 5 on record during the month of July in the Atlantic Ocean.
- Alaska had its wettest July on record.
- Four new Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters were confirmed in July. The year-to-date total currently stands at 19 disasters.
Other Highlights:
Temperature
July temperatures were above average to record warm across much of the western and eastern contiguous U.S.: California and New Hampshire each had their warmest July on record with 19 additional states seeing their top 10 warmest July on record.
The Alaska statewide July temperature was 52.8°F, 0.1°F above the long-term average, ranking in the middle third of the 100-year period of record for the state. Near-average temperatures were observed throughout most of the state, with above-average temperatures observed across much of the Northeast Gulf, Aleutians and South Panhandle.
For the January–July period, the average contiguous U.S. temperature was 54.5°F, 3.2°F above average, ranking second warmest on record. Temperatures were above average across nearly all of the contiguous U.S., while record-warm temperatures were observed in parts of the Northeast, Great Lakes, southern Plains and Mid-Atlantic. New Hampshire and Vermont both saw their warmest January–July period on record. An additional 25 states had a top-five warmest year-to-date period. All states ranked in the warmest third of the historical record during this seven-month period.
The Alaska January–July temperature was 28.6°F, 2.8°F above the long-term average, ranking in the warmest third of the historical record for the state—much of the state was warmer than average while temperatures were near average across parts of the Panhandle.
Precipitation
July precipitation for the contiguous U.S. was 3.04 inches, 0.26 inch above average, ranking in the wettest third of the historical record. Precipitation was below average across much of the West and Rockies, eastern parts of the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic, southern Florida and across portions of the Plains. West Virginia had its eighth-driest July on record. Conversely, precipitation was above average across much of the South, Southeast, Midwest, Great Lakes and northern New England. Illinois had its seventh wettest July, while North Carolina had its eighth wettest.
Alaska’s average monthly precipitation ranked wettest in the historical record. Much of the state was wetter than average for the month of July, with the Central Interior having its wettest July on record and the North Slope, West Coast and Northeast Interior each experiencing their second wettest July.
The January–July precipitation total for the contiguous U.S. was 20.44 inches, 2.36 inches above average, ranking 11th wettest in the 130-year record. Precipitation was above average across a large portion of the Upper Midwest, Northeast and Deep South, with Rhode Island, Minnesota and Wisconsin each ranking second wettest. Conversely, precipitation was below average across parts of the Northwest, northern Plains and west Texas during the January–July period.
The January–July precipitation for Alaska ranked in the wettest third of the 100-year record, with below-average precipitation observed across parts of the Cook Inlet, Aleutians and South Panhandle regions, near-average precipitation in the Northeast, Central and Southeast Interior regions and above-average precipitation observed across the remaining climate divisions.
Billion-Dollar Disasters
Four new billion-dollar weather and climate disasters were confirmed in July 2024, including one severe weather event that impacted the southern U.S. in mid-May, New Mexico wildfires during June and July, one severe weather event that impacted the central and northeastern U.S. (June 24–26) and Hurricane Beryl (July 8–9).
There have been 19 confirmed weather and climate disaster events this year, which is second only to 2023 for the highest amount for the first seven months of the year, each with losses exceeding $1 billion. These disasters consisted of 15 severe storm events, one tropical cyclone event, one wildfire event and two winter storms. The total cost of these events exceeds $49.6 billion, and they have resulted in at least 149 fatalities.
The U.S. has sustained 395 separate weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2024). The total cost of these 395 events exceeds $2.770 trillion.
Other Notable Events
On July 2–3, the Thompson Fire caused over 13,000 people to evacuate around Oroville, California.
Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda, Texas on July 8, causing significant damage, numerous power outages and eight fatalities.
The Shreveport NWS issued 67 tornado warnings, the most in a single day on July 8 for this office, due to the remnants of Hurricane Beryl.
On July 17, Washington D.C. hit 101ºF, tying a record for the longest streak of temperatures above 100ºF with four consecutive days.
An early July heat wave brought all-time record-breaking temperatures to portions of the West during July:
- Palm Springs, California: 124ºF on July 5
- Las Vegas, Nevada: 120ºF on July 7
- Redding, California: 119ºF on July 6
- Barstow, California: 118ºF on July 7 and 8
- Palmdale, California: 115ºF on July 6
Drought
According to the July 30 U.S. Drought Monitor report, about 20% of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, up a little over 1% from the end of June. Drought or abnormally dry conditions expanded or intensified this month across much of the West and Hawaii, and parts of the Central and Northern Plains, the Ohio Valley, the central Appalachians, Tennessee and the Northeast. Drought contracted or was reduced in intensity across much of the Southeast, western portions of the Ohio Valley and parts of Arkansas and Texas.
Monthly Outlook
Above-average temperatures are favored to impact areas across the western and southeastern portions of the U.S. in August, while below-average precipitation is likely to occur in the Northwest and south-central Plains. Drought is likely to persist in the Northwest, Central Plains and Hawaii. Visit the Climate Prediction Center’s Official 30-Day Forecasts and U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook website for more details.
Significant wildland fire potential for August is above normal across portions of the West, Southern Plains and Hawaii. For additional information on wildland fire potential, visit the National Interagency Fire Center’s One-Month Wildland Fire Outlook.
This monthly summary from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides to government, business, academia and the public to support informed decision-making. For more detailed climate information, check out our comprehensive July 2024 U.S. Climate Report scheduled for release on August 13, 2024. For additional information on the statistics provided here, visit the Climate at a Glance and National Maps webpages.
