NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
North Atlantic
July marks a continuation of a record-long major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger) landfall drought in the United States. The last major hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. was Wilma on October 24, 2005. This major hurricane drought surpassed the length of the eight-years from 1861-1868 when no major hurricane struck the United States' coast. On average, a major hurricane makes landfall in the U.S. about once every three years. The reliable record of landfalling hurricanes in the U.S. dates back to 1851.
| Storm Type | July 2015 | July 1981-2010 Average | Record Most for July Period of Record: 1851-2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm (Winds > 39 mph) |
1 | 1.1 | 5 (2005) |
| Hurricane (Winds > 74 mph) |
0 | 0.4 |
3 (1916,1966,2005) |
| Major Hurricane (Winds > 111 mph) |
0 | 0.1 | 2 (1916,2005) |
| Name | Dates of winds >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds |
Minimum Central Pressure |
Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Claudette | July 13th–15st | 50 mph | 1004 mb | Remnants impacted Newfoundland, Canada |
East Pacific
There were seven named storms in the East Pacific during July, tying the record set in 1985. Tropical cyclone activity is typically enhanced when an El Niño is present, which was the case during July 2015.
| Storm Type | July 2015 | July 1981-2010 Average | Record Most for July Period of Record: 1949-2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm (Winds >39 mph) |
7 | 3.6 | 7 (1985, 2015) |
| Hurricane (Winds >74 mph) |
2 | 1.9 |
4 (1971, 1982, 1990, 1992, 2008) |
| Major Hurricane (Winds >111 mph) |
1 | 1 (about one every three years) |
3 (1978, 1985, 1992) |
| Name | Dates of winds >39 mph |
Maximum Sustained Winds |
Minimum Central Pressure |
Landfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ela | July 8th– 10th | 40 mph | 1003 mb | N/A |
| Tropical Storm Halola | July 10th– 12th | 60 mph | 999 mb | N/A |
| Tropical Storm Iune | July 10th– 13th | 40 mph | 1003 mb | N/A |
| Hurricane Dolores (Cat. 4) |
July 11th– 18th | 130 mph | 944 mb | N/A — Remnants brought heavy rain to Southern California. |
| Tropical Storm Enrique | July 12th– 18th | 50 mph | 1000 mb | N/A |
| Tropical Storm Felicia | July 23rd– 25th | 40 mph | 1004 mb | N/A |
| Hurricane Guillermo (Cat. 2) |
July 29th– August 7th | 105 mph | 970 mb | N/A — Remnants brought some precipitation to Hawaii |
Summary of July 2015 Events
In mid-July, a westward moving tropical wave moved across Central America into the east Pacific Ocean. Off the west coast of Mexico, the wave developed into Tropical Storm Dolores on July 11th. Dolores moved into conditions favorable for rapid development, becoming a hurricane on July 13th and then reaching Category 4 strength on the same day. The storm continued to drift northward and weakened into a remnant low by the 19th off the coast of Southern California. The remnant moisture from the cyclone brought unprecedented rainfall to parts of Southern California. San Diego and Los Angeles both broke daily and monthly rainfall record due to Dolores. July is typically the middle of the dry season for both cities, with normal July precipitation less than a tenth of an inch. San Diego's Lindbergh Field received 1.71 inches of rain from Dolores, more rain than San Diego has received during the previous 100 Julys combined. The heavy rain caused flashed flooding in Southern California washing out a busy bridge on Interstate Highway 10 that connects Arizona and California. The rains were not enough to make much of an impact on long-term drought conditions, but did aid in containing several wildfires.