By Barney Leach
We received slightly above normal rainfall in July at 1.99 inches. We had four days with measureable rainfall, all within an eight-day period from July 4 through July 11.
Out greatest on-day total was 1.65 inches on July 11 which accounted for 83 percent of our total rainfall for the month. Normal rainfall for July is 1.95 inches.
Rainfall for the year stands at 18.96 inches. Normal through July is 25.18 inches.
Temperature-wise, July was a sizzler with a high of 114 degrees on July 23 which was a record high over the past 25 years. The previous high was 110 degrees on September 3, 2000.
Low temperature for the month was 68 degrees on July 25.
2018 RAINFALL BY MONTH IN INCHES
Month Rainfall (inches) Normal Departure
January 0.74 3.62 -2.88
February 4.58 3.36 +1.22
March 5.83 4.33 +1.50
April 1.18 3.30 -2.12
May 3.86 4.59 -0.73
June 0.78 4.03 -3.25
July 1.99 1.95 +0.04
Totals 18.96 25.18 -6.22
LOOKING AHEAD TO AUGUST: August is normally our second driest and second hottest month of the year. However, our high temperature for the year seems to occur more often in August than in July since the mid-point of summer is in August (August 6). Temperatures, on an average, normally peak around the mid-point of summer. July on an average is about one degree hotter than August due to it having more day-light hours. Normal rainfall for August is 2.43 inches.
Normal rainfall values currently used were derived from averages over the twenty-year period from 1997 through 2016.
The above rainfall and temperature data was recorded by Barney Leach, former volunteer co-op weather volunteer for the National Weather Service and former weather volunteer for Channel 8 in Dallas, Channel 10 in Waco, and radio station KNES in Fairfield.
