National Overview:

June Extreme Weather/Climate Events

Major climate events NOAA is closely monitoring:

  • Persisting and intensifying drought in parts of the West and Great Plains: Despite short-term drought relief in the Central and Southern Plains, long-term drought conditions will continue to impact water resources and agriculture. Long-term and short-term drought conditions in the West will also increase wildfire risk. More information is available from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
  • Probability of El Niño increases later this year: According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, there is a 70 percent chance of El Niño conditions developing this summer, increasing to an 80 percent chance by autumn and winter. El Niño conditions could have significant impacts on temperature and precipitation patterns across the U.S. More information is available from the Climate Prediction Center.
  • Upper Midwest and Northern Plains flooding: Record and near-record precipitation during June could increase the chances of river and lake flooding into mid- and late- summer.

  • Climate Highlights — June
  • The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during June was 69.6°F, 1.1°F above the 20th century average, ranking as the 33rd warmest June in the 120-year period of record. The average maximum (daytime) June temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 81.8°F, 0.4°F above the 20th century average, while the average minimum (nighttime) June temperature was 57.4°F, 1.7°F above the 20th century average, tying as the 10th warmest June minimum temperature.
  • California both had their 11th warmest June on record. No state had a top 10 warm June.
  • Below-average temperatures were observed in the Northern Rockies and parts of the Northern Plains. No state had a top 10 cool June.
  • Interestingly, in much of the Lower Mississippi Valley and mid-South, wet and cloudy summer month acting to moderate both afternoon and overnight temperatures.
  • The June national precipitation total was 3.62 inches, 0.69 inch above the 20th century average, marking the sixth wettest June on record, and the wettest since 1989.
  • A significant portion of the contiguous U.S. — parts of the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and the Great Plains — had Minnesota being record wet for the month. The 7.75 inches of precipitation averaged across Minnesota was 3.64 inches above the 20th century average, marking the wettest month of any month for the state, surpassing July 1897 and June 1914 when 7.32 inches of precipitation was observed. In Canton, South Dakota, 19.65 inches of precipitation fell during June, setting a new record among all months for any location in the state, according to the South Dakota State Climatologist.
  • Arizona tied its third driest June on record, with 0.01 inch of precipitation, 0.28 inch below the 20th century average; only June 1916 and 1951 were drier.
  • Alaska was much wetter than average during June with a statewide precipitation total 53 percent above the 1971-2000 average, the second wettest June for the state. The wettest June occurred in 1980 when the monthly precipitation was 74 percent above average. Juneau and Fairbanks each had their wettest June on record, while Anchorage had its second wettest.
  • According to the July 1 U.S. Drought Monitor report, 34.0 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, down about 3.3 percent compared to the beginning of June.
    • Beneficial rain improved drought conditions by one to three categories across parts of the Midwest and the Central and Southern Plains. Nebraska, which had its fourth wettest June, saw dramatic drought improvement.
    • Warm and dry conditions in parts of the West led to scattered locations experiencing worsening drought conditions. In California, the percent area of the state experiencing exceptional drought, the worst category, expanded to 36.5 percent, up over 11 percent since early June. In the East, abnormally dry conditions expanded in the Tennessee River Valley and southern New England.
  • Based on NOAA's Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index (REDTI), the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand during June was 33 percent above average and the 25th highest in the 1895-2014 period of record.
  • There were more record cool high temperature records (676) than record warm high temperature records (391), but warm nighttime temperatures dominated with more record warm low temperatures (1257) than record cold low temperatures (344). When aggregated together, there were more than one and a half times as many record warm daily highs and lows (1648) as record cold daily highs and lows (1020).
  • Climate Highlights — year-to-date (January – June)
  • The contiguous U.S. average temperature for the first half of 2014 was 47.6°F, 0.1°F above the 20th century average. This ranked near the middle value in the 120-year period of record, and marked the coldest first half of any year since 1993. The average maximum (daytime) year-to-date temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 59.8°F, 0.4°F above the 20th century average, while the average minimum (nighttime) January-June temperature was 35.4°F, 0.3°F below the 20th century average.
    • During the January-June period,
    • Wisconsin each had a top 10 cold January-June. No state had six-month temperatures that were record cold.
  • The national precipitation total for the January-June period was 15.29 inches, 0.02 inch below average.
    • Wisconsin had its sixth wettest start to the year.
    • Arizona had its third driest six-month period, with 1.42 inches of precipitation, 3.19 inches below average. The city of Wichita Falls, Texas, experienced its driest 45 consecutive months ending in June 2014.
  • The U.S. Climate Extremes Index (USCEI) for January-June was above average. On the national-scale, the spatial extent of one-day precipitation extremes ranked as the third highest value on record at 80 percent above average. On the regional scale, the West had its highest value on record, driven largely by warm daytime and nighttime temperatures and the spatial extent of drought. The Upper Midwest had its second highest value on record, driven largely by cold daytime and nighttime temperatures, high one-day precipitation totals, and high number of days with precipitation. The USCEI is an index that tracks extremes (falling in the upper or lower 10 percent of the record) in temperature, precipitation, drought, and land-falling tropical cyclones across the contiguous United States.
  • Based on REDTI, the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand during January-June was 25 percent above average and the 24th highest in the 1895-2014 period of record.

**A comparison of the national temperature departure from average as calculated by NCDC's operational dataset (nClimDiv), the U.S. Historical Climatology Network (USHCN), and the U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) is available on our National Temperature Index page.**

Alaska Temperature and Precipitation:

  • Temperature
  • Alaska had its 35th coolest June since records began in 1918, with a temperature -0.45°F (-0.25°C) below the 1971-2000 average.
  • Alaska had its 10th warmest April-June since records began in 1918, with a temperature 2.39°F (1.33°C) above the 1971-2000 average.
  • Alaska had its 3rd warmest January-June since records began in 1918, with a temperature 4.39°F (2.44°C) above the 1971-2000 average.
  • Precipitation
  • Alaska had its 2nd wettest June since records began in 1918, with an anomaly that was 52.99% above the 1971-2000 average.
  • Alaska had its 15th wettest April-June since records began in 1918, with an anomaly that was 18.58% above the 1971-2000 average.
  • Alaska had its 41st wettest January-June since records began in 1918, with an anomaly that was 6.45% above the 1971-2000 average.

For additional details about recent temperatures and precipitation across the U.S., see the Regional Highlights section below and visit the Climate Summary page. For information on local temperature and precipitation records during the month, please visit NCDC's Records page.


Regional Highlights:

These regional summaries were provided by the six Regional Climate Centers and reflect conditions in their respective regions. These six regions differ spatially from the nine climatic regions of the National Climatic Data Center.

  • Northeast Region: (Information provided by the Northeast Regional Climate Center)
  • June was another warmer-than-normal month in the Northeast. The region's average temperature was 66.1 degrees F (18.9 degrees C), 0.9 degrees F (0.5 degrees C) above normal. All twelve Northeast states saw above-normal temperatures during June, with departures ranging from +0.1 degrees F (+0.1 degrees C) in Rhode Island up to +1.6 degrees F (+0.9 degrees C) in West Virginia.
  • The Northeast was slightly wetter than normal during June. The region received 4.43 inches (112.52 mm) of precipitation, or 105 percent of normal. Only five states ended the month with above-normal precipitation, with departures for those states ranging from 103 percent of normal in Vermont to 119 percent of normal in Pennsylvania. As for the seven drier-than-normal states, Delaware had its 19th driest June on record at 61 percent of normal precipitation. Departures for the other dry states ranged from 52 percent of normal in Connecticut to 89 percent of normal in Maryland.
  • At the start of June, a small portion of southern West Virginia was experiencing abnormal dryness, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. By mid-month, abnormal dryness was introduced in parts of southern New England. By the end of June, dry conditions eased slightly in West Virginia; however, dryness lingered in southern New England and was introduced in parts of northern New England.
  • Severe weather affected the Northeast throughout June, with dozens of wind and hail reports from across the region. Four EF-1 tornadoes (two in West Virginia, one in Pennsylvania, and one in New York) and an EF-0 tornado (in Pennsylvania) caused structural and extensive tree damage. Straight-line winds of up to 90 mph (40 m/s) caused similar damage. Hail up to golf ball size was reported and downpours caused flash flooding that washed out roads and stranded people. In addition, lightning started multiple fires. According to the USDA, fruits such as strawberries, apples, peaches, and cherries were still well behind schedule through June despite mostly favorable weather conditions. However, other crops like cucumbers, cantaloupe, sweet corn, and tomatoes were near or ahead of schedule.
  • For more information, please go to the Northeast Regional Climate Center Home Page.
  • Midwest Region: (Information provided by the Midwest Regional Climate Center)
  • June temperatures were slightly above normal in the Midwest. Statewide temperatures were between zero and two degrees F (0 to 1 C) above normal for the month. The second week of June was cool but the other three weeks were above normal. Year to date temperatures ranked as the 10th coolest in the past 120 year for the region as a whole. All nine states ranked among the coolest 25 percent with Wisconsin (6th), Michigan (8th), Illinois (8th), and Indiana (9th) ranked among the top ten.
  • June precipitation was above average for most of the region. Only Kentucky was below normal for June while the other eight states were above normal, in some cases well above normal. The region as a whole ranked as the 4th wettest June in 120 years of records with more than 2.00 inches (51 mm) above normal. Statewide total in Minnesota set a new June record with nearly three and a half inches (88 mm) more than normal for the month. It was also the wettest month in Minnesota for any calendar month. Iowa had 4.30 inches (109 mm) more than normal in June. Iowa (3rd), Wisconsin (6th), and Illinois (10th) also ranked among the top 10 wettest Junes on record. The wettest area was in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa where widespread totals of 10 to 17 inches (254 to 432 mm) were reported. Nine Iowa stations recorded there wettest month (for any calendar month) on record.
  • June was a busy month for severe weather across the Midwest with 25 of the 30 days in June having at least one report in the region. The busiest days were the 3rd, 16th, 18th, and 30th. Much of the activity was in the middle third of the region but reports were also received from the northern and southern thirds of the Midwest. The storm on the 30th knocked out power to thousands of Chicago area customers, and many were without power for a day or more. Damage along a eight mile (13 km) stretch of US 30 in Lake County, Indiana was so extensive the busy road had to be shut down overnight to repair numerous power lines and traffic signals damaged in the storm.
  • The wet conditions in June, especially in Minnesota and Iowa, reduced the footprint of drought in the Midwest. Minnesota became drought-free for the first time since July of 2011. Iowa also became drought-free taking the statewide percentage from 28 percent at the beginning of June to zero percent as of July 1st. Missouri was the only Midwest state with about 10 percent of the state in moderate drought. Significant parts of Missouri and Kentucky were noted as abnormally dry at the end of June.
  • Although corn planting had largely wrapped up by the beginning of June, soybean planting was completed in June. Condition reports put both corn and soybeans at between 60 and 85 percent of the crops in good or excellent condition in all nine Midwest states. However, local flooding has damaged the crops in some locations.
  • For details on the weather and climate events of the Midwest, see the weekly summaries in the Midwest Climate Watch page.
  • Southeast Region: (Information provided by the Southeast Regional Climate Center)
  • Mean temperatures in June were variable across the Southeast region. The greatest departures were found across parts of the Carolinas, where monthly temperatures were 2 to 3 degrees F (1.1 to 1.6 degrees C) above average. Charleston, SC (1938-2014) tied its fifth warmest June on record, which included 23 days of 90 degree F (32.2 degrees C) and greater temperatures. Monthly temperatures were also above average across much of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with San Juan, PR (1898-2014) recording its third warmest June on record. In contrast, June temperatures were near average to slightly below average across southern portions of Alabama and Georgia as well as much of the Florida Peninsula. The warmest weather of the month occurred from the 17th to the 21st as temperatures reached the middle to upper 90s F (30s C) across much of northern Florida, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and southeastern Virginia, with a few locations (e.g. Tallahassee, FL, Valdosta, GA, and Columbia, SC) reaching 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C). Heat index values also exceeded 100 degrees F across a large portion of the region during this period. In contrast, the coolest weather occurred during the first three days of the month, as mean daily temperatures ranged from 5 to 10 degrees F (2.8 to 5.5 degrees C) below average across much of Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas.
  • Precipitation was below average across much of the Southeast region in June. The driest locations were found across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as parts of central and eastern South Carolina, where monthly precipitation totals were less than 1 inch (25.4 mm), or about 20 to 40 percent of normal. San Juan, PR recorded its third driest June on record with 0.77 inches (19.6 mm) of precipitation, while Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas recorded just 0.14 inches (3.6 mm) of precipitation, marking its fourth driest June in a record extending back to 1953. In contrast, the wettest locations were found across central and southern portions of Florida, northern Alabama, eastern portions of Georgia and North Carolina, and northern and central Virginia, where monthly totals exceeded 10 inches (254 mm) in places, or about 150 to 200 percent of normal. One of the wettest locations was Miami, FL (1895-2014), which recorded its seventh wettest June on record with 19.62 inches (498 mm). Also of note was Savannah, GA (1871-2014), which recorded its wettest 1-day precipitation total for June with 6.65 inches (169 mm), breaking the old record of 6.60 inches (168 mm) set on June 29, 1999. Elsewhere across the region, monthly precipitation totals were generally about 50 to 75 percent of normal.
  • There were over 1,000 reports of severe weather across the Southeast in June, with at least one report on all but the first three days of the month. Over 80 percent of these reports were for damaging thunderstorm winds. In addition, five tornadoes were confirmed across the region. On the 6th of the month, an EF-0 touched down in rural Bamberg County in southeastern South Carolina. The next day, an EF-1 touched down in Troup County, GA near the town of La Grange along the Alabama-Georgia border. Two tornadoes touched down on the 9th of the month, including an EF-1 in Colbert County near the town of Russellville in extreme northwestern Alabama, and an EF-0 in Orangeburg County near the town of Bowman in southeastern South Carolina. The next day, an EF-1 was confirmed in Jackson County near the town of Scottsboro in extreme northeastern Alabama. No injuries or fatalities were reported.
  • Small changes were noted in the Drought Monitor across the Southeast in June. Areas of moderate drought (D1) and abnormally dry conditions (D0) were eliminated across South Florida and parts of extreme northern Alabama, while small areas of D0 and D1 were introduced across central portions of the Carolinas and extreme southwestern Virginia, respectively. By the end of June, more than 90 percent of the Southeast was free of any drought designation and very few agricultural impacts were noted. Lightning strikes triggered two separate brush fires totaling more than 12,000 acres across parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in South Florida. Record precipitation totals over the past year in this region have contributed to greater densities of biting flies, such as yellow flies, horse flies, and deer flies, particularly across parts of the Florida Panhandle. Numerous bites from these flies can significantly reduce milk production and interfere with grazing of cattle and horses.
  • For more information, please go to the Southeast Regional Climate Center Home Page.
  • High Plains Region: (Information provided by the High Plains Regional Climate Center)
  • While most of the country had temperatures which were near normal, the upper Missouri River Basin was the cool spot in the nation with temperature departures generally up to 4.0 degrees F (2.2 degrees C) below normal. These lower temperatures were common across much of Montana, northern Wyoming, and the western sides of the Dakotas. Elsewhere in the High Plains Region, temperatures hovered around 2.0 degrees F (1.1 degrees C) above or below normal. Only a few locations in southern Colorado made it into the 2.0-4.0 degrees F (1.1-2.2 degrees C) above normal range. Most areas did not experience record breaking temperatures, but a few isolated locations did break into the top 10. One of the cooler locations this month was Pierre, South Dakota. With an average temperature of only 64.4 degrees F (18.0 degrees C), Pierre had its 9th coolest June on record (period of record 1933-2014). The coolest June occurred in 1945 with 60.1 degrees F (15.6 degrees C). On the warm side was Trinidad, Colorado which had its 6th warmest June with 70.7 degrees F (21.5 degrees C). The record of 73.8 degrees F (23.2 degrees C) set in 2002 held (period of record 1899-2014).
  • The month of June brought a wide variety of weather to the High Plains Region. Much of southern Wyoming and western and central Colorado was dry with precipitation totals reaching 50 percent of normal at most. Alamosa, Colorado, located in the southern part of the state, had its 4th driest June on record with only 0.02 inches (1 mm) of precipitation. Only 3 other times had June been drier, with just a Trace, in 2011, 1980, and 1946 (period of record 1906-2014). Areas to the north and east, however dealt with multiple rounds of severe weather and heavy precipitation. In some areas, precipitation was quite welcome as this helped improve or eliminate drought and helped create excellent grazing and pasture conditions. However, areas with excessive rainfall dealt with flooding which washed out roads and bridges and inundated farmland. Some areas along the Missouri, Big Sioux, Souris, and Red Rivers experienced at least minor flooding. One example was the Big Sioux River which crested at 105.6 feet (32.2 m) at Sioux City. Luckily, this was lower than expected. A levee upstream failed and enough water flowed through the failure that flooding was not quite as bad as originally predicted. The record was 108.3 feet (33.0 m) set in 1969. Although not as bad as feared, buildings, houses, and farmland were inundated and a section of I-29 was closed several days. The majority of Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas were extremely wet this month with precipitation totals well over 150 percent of normal. The western half of Kansas, much of Nebraska, and northwestern and southeastern South Dakota had totals over 200 percent of normal with some locations even topping 300 percent of normal. Numerous locations ranked in the top 10 wettest Junes on record and flash flooding was common. Sioux Falls, South Dakota was one of these extremely wet locations with a June total of 13.70 inches (348 mm) which was 9.78 inches (248 mm) above normal, or 349 percent of normal precipitation. The old record of 8.43 inches (214 mm) set back in 1984 was absolutely crushed (period of record 1893- 2014)! Sioux Falls experienced 19 days with measurable precipitation, of which there were 9 consecutive days of precipitation. This tied for the 2nd longest streak of measurable precipitation for any period. Only March of 1987 claims more, with 12. Preliminary data also suggest that Canton, South Dakota, located on the Big Sioux River just south of Sioux Falls received an incredible 19.65 inches (499 mm) of rain this month (period of record 1896-2014). According to the South Dakota State Climate Office, this is possibly the most rain ever received in one month in the whole state of South Dakota since records began. As mentioned earlier, June was an active month and has been the most active severe weather month this year in the U.S. - more than doubling the number of storm reports from May. Severe weather was a major issue in the High Plains Region with 1,681 total storm reports including 156 tornado reports, 794 hail reports, and 731 wind reports. Severe weather was reported somewhere in the Region every single day this month with the most reports occurring on the 3rd and 14th. The town of Pilger, Nebraska took a direct hit by an EF-4 tornado on the 16th. According to the National Weather Service Office in Valley, Nebraska 5 tornadoes were confirmed in the Pilger area, 4 of which were rated as EF-4 tornadoes and one as EF-0. Another EF-4 tornado occurred near Alpena, South Dakota on the 18th. In addition to the structural damage from the severe weather, agriculture also took a hit. Damage to crops, irrigation equipment, and grain storage occurred and livestock losses were reported as well. In regards to crops, some producers have been able to replant, however others were still making those decisions at the end of the month.
  • According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, major improvements in drought conditions occurred in the High Plains Region this month as heavy precipitation helped eliminate or ease drought conditions. Approximately 23 percent of the Region was in moderate (D1) to exceptional (D4) drought at the end of June, down from 33 percent at the end of May. The extreme precipitation in South Dakota allowed for the elimination of all drought conditions there. Only a bit of abnormal dryness (D0) remained. In Nebraska, drought conditions were eliminated in the east and reduced in the central and southern parts of the state. Meanwhile in Kansas, all D4 was eliminated and a 25 percent reduction occurred in the extreme drought (D3) coverage. Parts of eastern Colorado also received ample precipitation and drought conditions were eased there as well. Other drought areas of Colorado persisted. According to the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook released June 19th, current drought conditions are expected to improve or be removed in Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado.
  • For more information, please go to the High Plains Regional Climate Center Home Page.
  • Southern Region: (Information provided by the Southern Regional Climate Center)
  • June was a slightly warmer than normal month for the Southern Region. Much of the central and northern areas of the region averaged within two degrees F (1.11 degrees C) of normal. Conditions were much warmer in the western panhandle of Texas, with most stations averaging three to six degrees F (1.67 to 3.33 degrees C) above average. In eastern Tennessee, stations averaged between two and three degrees F ( 1.11 to 1.67 degrees C) above normal. All six states in the region reported state wide average temperatures that were above normal, however, all state rankings fell within the two middle quartiles. The state wide average temperatures are as follows: Arkansas averaged 76.70 degrees F (24.83 degrees C), Louisiana averaged 79.90 degrees F (26.61 degrees C), Mississippi averaged 78.60 degrees F (25.89 degrees C), Oklahoma averaged 77.20 degrees F (25.11 degrees C), Tennessee averaged 74.90 degrees F (23.83 degrees C), and Texas averaged 80.60 degrees F (27.00 degrees C).
  • June Precipitation totals in the Southern Region varied spatially with some areas remaining dry, while others received more than twice the monthly average. With the exception of Crockett, Terrell, and Val Verde Counties, southern Texas remained relatively dry as most stations averaged between 25 to 75 percent of normal precipitation for the month. Conditions were similarly dry in the Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas border region and also in eastern Oklahoma and eastern Tennessee. Conversely, it was quite wet in the Texas counties of Crockett, Terrell and Val Verde. Precipitation in this area averaged over twice the monthly average. This was also the case in north eastern Arkansas, western Tennessee and in northern Mississippi. In northern Texas, precipitation totals were near normal to above normal. Similar conditions could also be observed in southern Mississippi and in central Louisiana. All six states were wetter than normal. The average state wide precipitation totals are as follows: Arkansas reported 6.13 inches (155.7 mm), Louisiana reported 6.32 inches (160.53 mm), Mississippi reported 6.65 inches (168.91 mm), Oklahoma reported 5.57 inches (141.48 mm), Tennessee reported 6.78 inches (172.21 mm), and Texas reported 2.90 inches (73.66 mm). For the state of Tennessee, it was the sixth wettest June on record (1895-2014), while for Arkansas, it was the fourteenth wettest June on record (1895-2014). Mississippi recorded its twelfth wettest June on record (1895-2014), while Oklahoma reported its twenty-fifth wettest June on record (1895-2014). Louisiana and Texas reported their thirtieth and fifty-fifth wettest June on record (1895-2014), respectively.
  • Drought conditions in the Southern Region did not significantly change in the states of Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana. Portions of easternmost Tennessee is, however, classified as moderate drought. In Texas and Oklahoma, drought conditions have remained relatively dire. Much of the state of Texas is still under the grip of moderate to severe drought, with extreme and exceptional drought covering much of the northern counties of the state. For Oklahoma, the majority of the state is experiencing severe drought or worse, with exceptional drought occurring in the panhandle the southern counties, and in north central portions of the state.
  • Weather.com reported that slow moving thunderstorms near the end of the month caused flash flooding in Memphis, Tennessee, and in eastern Arkansas. According to the report, two to three feet (61 to 91 cm) of water flooded underpasses near I-240 and near the I-40. Cars were stranded and five families were evacuated in Forrest City, Arkansas.
  • In Texas, rains across the state have helped farmers. Expected corn planting acreage and harvesting acreage are both down, at 11% and 10% respectively. Upland cotton acreage is up 11 percent from last year, and Pima cotton 44%, but with no estimates on harvests yet. Winter wheat came in 5% lower than 2013 with a 2% reduction in harvest numbers, which were already low in 2013. Sorghum seemed to be the big winner for harvests, where no change in acres planted has thus far seen a 9% increase in harvested acres. Other smaller crops are all doing better in 2014 than 2013 with the exception of rice, still struggling with no discharge out of the Colorado River, which is down 3%. The Colorado River is still struggling, with the Lower Colorado River Authority voting to increase water rates on customers from $151 to $174 per acre-foot and not to release water to farmers downstream. McKinney has entered revised stage 3 water restrictions, as has Rowlett, and continued in Garland, Plano, and Allen. Many regions around the state are acting to ban hydraulic fracturing in order to both conserve water and but at ease concerns about pollution; the TCEQ is drilling over 500 test wells to check for groundwater contamination from oil drilling. Where desalination is being considered, the high cost is concerning people, as an estimated average of $21.68 per month could be added to water bills to pay for the process. (Information provided by the Texas Office of State Climatology)
  • In Texas, several fronts passed through the state in June, many of which spawned severe storms with damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes. At the beginning of the month, storms passing through the Panhandle and north Texas spawned tornadoes in the former and flooding and power outages in the latter. Similar storms caused flooding and damage in Houston, with an EF1 and 100 mph (160 kmph) winds, causing power outages to over 2,000 people (Information provided by the Texas Office of State Climatology).
  • For more information, please go to the Southern Regional Climate Center Home Page.
  • Western Region: (Information provided by the Western Region Climate Center)
  • The northern tier of the West saw above normal precipitation this month along with slightly below normal temperatures. The Southwest was primarily under the influence of typical summertime high pressure and remained mostly dry and with temperatures somewhat warmer than normal.
  • The Southwest monsoon season officially began on June 15, though little to no precipitation was observed in the Southwest US monsoon region from this date through the end of the month. As is common in June, many southwestern locations did not receive any measurable precipitation this month including Los Angeles and Sacramento in California, Reno and Las Vegas in Nevada, and Phoenix and Flagstaff in Arizona. The Central Sierra received some beneficial precipitation on the 25th and 26th with the passage of an upper level low; several locations saw a storm total over 0.5 in (13 mm). Following a record wet spring, Seattle, Washington saw below normal precipitation for the first month since January. Seattle recorded 0.73 in (19 mm) of rainfall this month, 46% of normal. Drought conditions continued to expand throughout the West, with every state seeing expansion of a small area of abnormally dry conditions at the very least. Slight improvements in drought conditions were observed in small areas of eastern Washington, eastern New Mexico, and eastern Colorado.
  • June is typically one of the wettest months of the year for much of Montana, and precipitation was more abundant than normal this month. Kalispell recorded 5.24 in (133 mm), 204% of normal and the 4th wettest June since records began in 1896. Great Falls observed 4.18 in (106 mm), 165% of normal. Other inland Northwest locations saw above normal precipitation as well. Meacham, Oregon recorded 4.19 in (106 mm) of rain this month, the second wettest June since records began in 1948.
  • Warmer than normal temperatures accompanied dry conditions in the Southwest. In northern California, Ukiah recorded an average temperature of 72.1 F (22.3 C) this month, 4.5 C (2.5 C) above normal and the warmest June since records began in 1949. Temperatures at Fresno, California, averaged to 80.9 F (27.2 C), tied with 2013 for the 4th warmest June in a 67-year record. Las Vegas, Nevada, saw 21 days with temperatures equal to or above 100 F (37.8 C); the normal for June is 15 days. This was the 5th warmest June on record at Las Vegas at an average 89.4 F (31.9 C). Further east, Tucson, Arizona recorded its 3rd warmest June at 88.9 F (31.6 C), 4.1 F above normal. The first half of 2014 has been the warmest on record for Tucson at an average 69.7 F (20.9 C). Tucson's records began in 1946.
  • Cooler than normal temperatures were seen in the wetter areas of the West this month, though were within a few degrees of normal and far from record setting. Lewistown, Montana recorded an average 55.3 F (12.9 C), 2.8 F (1.5 C) below normal and the 20th coolest June in a 119-year record. In Wyoming, Lake Yellowstone recorded an average temperature of 45.2 F (7.3 C). 3.4 F (1.9 C) below normal.
  • Above normal precipitation was observed throughout the eastern half of Alaska. In the far southeast, Ketchikan received 5.45 in (138 mm) of rainfall on June 22nd, the wettest June day since records began in 1910. Also in the southeast, Juneau logged its wettest June in a 79-year record at 7.46 in (189 mm), 230% of normal. Temperatures were cooler than normal throughout the state this month, especially in the Interior. Further south, precipitation was variable throughout Hawaii with many locations below normal on Big Island and in Maui County and above normal on Oahu and Kauai.
  • June (all month): Southwest drought continues: The onset of typical hot, dry summer conditions further exacerbated the drought situation in many areas of the West. In Nevada, ranchers continue to scale back their herds and a few have sold their ranches. Farmers in Pershing County are receiving zero allocations of water this year, and fish die-offs are expected in several low water reservoirs. Nearly all of California's major reservoirs are reporting below average storage and mandatory water restrictions are in effect for many municipalities. Low water levels are impacting boating and recreation on some of California's lakes and reservoirs.
  • June 25: Diego Fire, New Mexico: Lightning strikes ignited this fire near Coyote, New Mexico and the fire has since grown to over 3,000 acres (1200 hectares). No structures have been destroyed, but road closures and evacuations are in effect.
  • For more information, please go to the Western Regional Climate Center Home Page.

Citing This Report

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Monthly National Climate Report for June 2014, published online July 2014, retrieved on March 29, 2024 from https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/national/201406.