AUSTIN (KXAN) — This past July was one of the months that doesn’t happen very often when it comes to rainfall and temperatures. July is typically the second hottest and the second driest month of the year.
Recent Julys found a strong and stationary high-pressure system, or the heat dome dominating the local weather. That did not happen for most of the month. When the heat dome did establish itself over the state, it didn’t stay too long.
The month started with a normal high of 95°. The next 20 days would be what we refer to as “blue box days” where the afternoon highs were below normal. July 4 and 5 had the coolest of those below normal days with highs of 82° and 77°, respectively.
The first above normal high happened on July 22 when the thermostat reached 98°. Two days later, the month’s first triple-digit high was recorded at 100°.
The last three days of the month were the hottest with highs of 100°, 101° and 102°. This was due to a ridge of upper-level high pressure that settled over north Texas. The four days of triple-digit highs are six shy of a “typical” July…