After a dry start, July ends wetter than normal for Huntsville

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — July will end wetter than normal for the area after a dry stretch at the start of the month.

The month may have started dry, but the multiple rounds of rain that produced tropical downpours toward the end of the month quickly increased the month’s rain totals. Huntsville ended the month with nearly 7.90 inches of rain, ranking it the 8th wettest on record.

Decatur observed its 3rd-wettest July on record with nearly 7.40 inches of rain measured. The rain was uneven at times though, which meant some areas west of I-65 ended the month drier than normal. Muscle Shoals recorded 3.13 inches in July, which was more than 1.50 inches below normal.

Following a dry end to June, the stretch continued into the first week of July. That stretch of dry weather contributed to the current drought conditions the area is experiencing. While the month ended with a stretch of rain, the drought conditions remain. It will take more than one nice soaking rain to improve the conditions.

The next update for the drought monitor will be released Thursday morning. Hopefully with the latest rainfall, the widespread drought conditions have improved.

While it was excessively hot and humid at times in July, the overall temperatures were normal for the month. The average temperature, combining the highs and lows, was about 0.5 degrees above average.

Roughly 65 percent of days in July were at or above 90 degrees in Huntsville. The hottest day was on the fourth when the high was 100 degrees.

Heading into the last month of meteorological summer, the likelihood of warmer-than-normal temperatures continues for the Southeast region.

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