West Virginia Climate Summary, July 2003 A remarkably cool, wet weather pattern continued through July across the Mountain State. Since October 2002, the persistence of generally cooler- and wetter-than-normal weather in West Virginia and elsewhere in the Northeast has been in part attributable to two different kinds of atmospheric blocks. One type, the vortex-pair block (also known as a Rex block), is a stable atmospheric configuration involving a high-pressure system situated north of a low-pressure system (e.g. a high over southeastern Canada and a low over northeastern United States). The second type is an Omega block, named after its resemblance to the Greek letter. July's stable pattern was more characteristic of an Omega block, featuring southward dips in the jet stream--or troughs--over the eastern Pacific Ocean and the eastern United States, and an anomalous northward push of the jet stream--or ridge--over the western United States. Some West Virginia locations, including Charleston, continued to await their first 90-degree reading of the year. Charleston's highest temperature of the month, and for the year-to-date, was 89 degrees F on July 8. Cooler-than-normal weather prevailed statewide in July, with temperatures averaging generally 1 to 3 degrees F below normal. Most of the state's lowest temperatures during the month occurred between July 20 and 25. In fact, July 25 featured several daily-record lows, including 53 degrees F in Beckley and 54 degrees F in Bluefield. Meanwhile, most West Virginia locations recorded above-normal July precipitation. Measurable rain fell on 16 days during the month in cities such as Huntington and Charleston, and 18 days in Beckley and Martinsburg. Parkersburg's 7.95-inch monthly total was its fifth-greatest July sum on record and the highest among West Virginia's major observing stations. It was also Parkersburg's wettest July since 8.43 inches fell in 1958. Elsewhere, Huntington collected a daily-record total (1.47 inches) on July 31, as the wet weather pattern carried through the end of the month and into August. Preliminary Station Data, July 2003* Temperatures (Degrees F), Precipitation (Inches), and Departures from Normal Station Avg Dep Hi / Lo Temp (Dates) Pcpn Dep % of Nml Beckley 69.7 -1.0 85 (5th) / 53 (25th) 4.12 -0.66 86 Bluefield 69.0 -2.6 82 (5th, 8th) / 54 (25th) 6.93 +2.92 173 Charleston 73.1 -0.8 89 (8th) / 56 (24th) 5.89 +1.03 121 Elkins 69.4 -0.2 87 (21st) / 49 (20th) 4.37 -0.47 90 Huntington 73.9 -1.4 91 (5th, 8th) / 55 (24th) 7.29 +2.83 163 Martinsburg 73.7 -2.9 91 (5th) / 54 (20th) 3.84 +0.11 103 Parkersburg 72.5 -2.1 90 (6th, 8th) / 54 (20th) 7.95 +3.75 189 Nearby Stns Avg Dep Hi / Lo Temp (Dates) Pcpn Dep % of Nml Pittsburgh, PA 71.3 -1.3 87 (4th) / 53 (13th, 19th) 6.01 +2.05 152 Blacksburg, VA 70.6 -0.5 87 (5th) / 52 (25th) 8.14 +3.97 195 Jackson, KY 73.8 -1.0 87 (4th, 8th) / 59 (24th, 25th) 3.95 -0.64 86 * Preliminary station data provided by National Weather Service offices in Blacksburg, VA, Charleston, WV, Pittsburgh, PA, Sterling, VA, and Jackson, KY.