June
- For the contiguous United States, the first half of 2007 was
the 18th warmest January-June since records began in 1895. The
six-month mean temperature was 1.3°F (0.7°C) above the
20th century average of 48.4°F (9.1°C).
- Temperatures were much warmer than average from the
mid-Atlantic and Midwest to the northern Plains and throughout the
West. In the contiguous U.S. only Texas was cooler than average,
while near-average temperatures were widespread across the South
and Northeast. Alaska was -0.3°F (0.2°C) below the
1971-2000 mean for the January-June period.
- June 2007 was the 23rd warmest June on record, 1.4°F
(0.8°C) above the 20th century average of 69.3°F. The
warmer-than-average June temperature helped increase residential
energy needs for the nation. Using the Residential Energy Demand
Temperature Index (REDTI - an index developed at NOAA to relate
energy usage to climate), the nation's residential energy demand
was approximately 1.5 percent higher than what would have occurred
under average climate conditions for the month. Additional
information on the REDTI is available.
- The year began with widespread severe drought in the southern
and central Plains, Wyoming, the western High Plains, and northern
Minnesota. While above average precipitation helped ease, or end,
drought in many of these areas by mid year, an extremely dry winter
and spring throughout most of the West and much below average
precipitation in the Deep South produced widespread drought that
worsened during June.
- Four of the first six months of the year were wetter, or much
wetter, than average in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The wet period
was punctuated by heavy and persistent rains in June that produced
devastating flooding in the region and the continued threat of
flooding into early July. Monthly rainfall totals exceeded one foot
in some locations. Additional information on the severe weather in
the southern Plains is available on the June Global
Hazards Page.
- Much of the West and the South suffered from extreme drought
conditions brought about by months of below average precipitation.
An extremely low winter and spring snowpack throughout the West
combined with above average temperatures in the spring and early
summer set the stage for an early start to the wildfire season.
- It was the second driest January-June and driest April-June on
record in the Southeast. By the end of June, 65 percent of the
region was in drought. Alabama was hardest hit, with 86 percent of
the state's pasture and range lands in poor -- or very poor --
condition in early July, according to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. The entire state was declared a drought disaster area.
Additional information is available on the US Drought
Page.
For information on local temperature and precipitation records
during the month of June, please visit NCDC's Extremes page.
- Across the United States, extreme drought conditions persisted
in areas of Wyoming and throughout much of the Desert Southwest.
AlthoughTropical Storm Barry brought much needed precipitation over
parts of the Southeast during the first week of June, extreme to
exceptional drought persisted in parts of Alabama, Tennessee,
Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida. For more
information on drought during June, please visit the U.S. Drought page.
- El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions are in a
neutral state. By the end of June, sea-surface temperatures (SST)
anomalies were slightly positive in the western and central
equatorial Pacific and below average in the eastern equatorial
Pacific. Current forecasts indicate that a transition from
ENSO-neutral conditions to La Niña could occur over the next
1-3 months. For additional information on ENSO conditions, please
visit the NCDC ENSO Monitoring
page and the latest
NOAA ENSO Advisory.
For additional details, see the Monthly and
Seasonal Highlights section below and visit the June Climate Summary page. For details and
graphics on weather events across the U.S. and the globe
please visit NCDC's Global Hazards
page.
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