July sets record as coolest since 1963
Published 9:30 am Tuesday, August 4, 2009
If you thought the July was a bit different than normal, you were right.
According to information from the National Weather Service Office in Charleston, W.Va., the month that just ended set a record in Huntington, W.Va., for being the coolest July in record.
With an average daily temperature of 70.8 degrees, it broke records set in 1963 and 1967. Why?
“Normally this time of year we get set up in a pattern of strong southerly or southwesterly winds that bring the warm air in and the humidity,” explained meteorologist Alan Rezik. “But this July we haven’t had that week after week pattern. We switched back and forth from a westerly, northwesterly flow to occasionally the southerly flow.”
And July was wet, too. Rezik said the Tri-State collected 8.47 inches of rain. The area typically gets 4.46 inches of rain in July.
For the year, the Tri-State has collected 34.21 inches of rain — norms for the year through the end of July is 26.49 inches.
If July was unusual, August may follow a similar trend. Rezik said while the next few days will be warm, cooler air is expected to soon replace it.
“We’re still not looking for bunches and bunches of days in the 90s,” Rezik said. “It looks like we’re going to get back into the pattern of cooler (than normal) days.”
The forecast calls for a slight chance of showers between noon and 3 p.m. today, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Expect a high temperature near 86 degrees. The chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
The chance of rain increases to 40 percent tonight with new rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
On Wednesday, there is a 40 percent chance of rain with a high near 85 degrees.
New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch is possible, except higher amounts could be possible in thunderstorms. Thursday look for mostly cloudy skies with a high near 85.
Friday will be partly sunny, with a high near 86.