Maps and Graphics:

Current Month Most Recent 3 Months Most Recent 6 Months
Most Recent 12 Months US Percent Area Very Wet/Dry/Warm/Cold

Monthly Drought Indices

National Overview:

Despite some warmth in the Great Lakes and Northeast late in the month, the predominant signal in the eastern half of the U.S. for June was colder than average, while the West remained warmer than normal. Conditions were generally wetter than average in the East and drier than average across much of the West, Southwest and Great Lakes states for June 2003.

Rainfall was heavy across Kentucky, West Virginia and North Carolina mid-month causing flooding leading to 7 deaths in those states. The Southeast also received heavy rainfall late in the month as Tropical Storm Bill made landfall in Louisiana on the 30th and the remnants moved northeastward through the Carolinas. Severe weather in Nebraska and Kansas also caused problems around June 22nd, with large hail, tornadoes and up to a foot of rain in some locations.

More details and graphics on these and other weather events can be found on NCDC's Global Hazards page.

The eastern North Pacific hurricane season officially begins on May 1st and the first tropical storm of 2003 (Andres) formed on May 20th. In June, 2 tropical storms formed - Blanca and Carlos. Blanca did not affect land, however, Carlos came ashore in Mexico with an intensity of 55 kts (63 mph).
The Atlantic season officially begins on June 1st, though some pre-season activity was recorded in April leading to the first named storm of the season for the Atlantic. In June, Tropical Storm Bill developed in the Gulf and came ashore along the Louisiana coast on June 30th. See the East Pacific Hurricane page and the Atlantic Hurricane page for further details.

Indices used to determine the presence of La Nina conditions diminished slightly across the tropical Pacific during June, including a weakening of the negative sea-surface temperature anomalies, leading to a lower probability of La Nina occurring in the coming months. To see the latest NOAA advisory and typical impacts of a La Nina episode for the U.S., go to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

Monthly and Seasonal Highlights:

National:


It should be emphasized that all of the temperature and precipitation ranks and values are based on preliminary data. The ranks will change when the final data are processed.


Citing This Report

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Monthly National Climate Report for June 2003, published online July 2003, retrieved on March 19, 2024 from https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/national/200306.