National Overview:

June Extreme Weather/Climate Events
  • Climate Highlights — June
  • The June average temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 70.4°F, 2.0°F above the 20th century average, and ranked as the 15th warmest such month on record.
  • The western U.S. was warmer than average. California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico each had a top 10 warm June. Warmer-than-average conditions were also present for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Near-average temperatures stretched from the Northern Plains, through the Midwest, and into the Southeast.
  • Alaska was much warmer than average during June, with a statewide temperature 4.0°F above the 1971-2000 average and the third-warmest June in its 96-year period of record. A heat wave during the third week of the month brought temperatures in excess of 90°F to parts of the state, breaking daily record high temperatures at many locations.
  • The nationally-averaged June precipitation total of 3.43 inches was 0.54 inch above the 20th century average, and was the 13th wettest June on record for the contiguous United States.
  • The Ohio Valley and East Coast were much wetter than average. Eighteen states, from Georgia to Maine, had June precipitation totals that ranked among their 10 wettest. New Jersey and Delaware both had their wettest June on record. The New Jersey statewide precipitation total of 9.55 inches was 5.85 inches above average, and the Delaware precipitation total of 10.94 inches was 7.29 inches above average.
  • Below-average precipitation was observed across much of the West during June, which tends to be a dry month for the region. Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming each had one of their 10 driest Junes on record. Utah was record dry with a statewide precipitation total of just 0.01 inch, 0.66 inch below average.
  • During June, approximately 4,000 wildfires charred more than 1.2 million acres, mostly across the western U.S. and Alaska. The number of fires was below average, while the acreage burned was above average. The Black Forest Fire, which burned more than 14,000 acres near Colorado Springs, Colo., destroyed more than 500 homes, and, according to preliminary assessments, is the most destructive wildfire in state history, in terms of property loss. The Yarnell Hill Fire, near Prescott, Ariz., destroyed more than 8,400 acres and was responsible for 19 firefighter fatalities.
  • Tropical Storm Andrea — the first tropical cyclone of the 2013 North Atlantic hurricane season — made landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast on June 6 with sustained winds of 65 miles per hour. The storm caused only minor damage as it moved through the Southeast, with the largest impacts being coastal flooding and weak tornadoes.
  • According to the July 2 U.S. Drought Monitor report, 44.1 percent of the contiguous U.S was experiencing drought conditions, the same size footprint as early June. Drought remained entrenched throughout much of the West and into the Central and Southern Plains, with the percent area of the nation experiencing severe (D2) to exceptional (D4) drought expanding from 28.5 percent to 33.0 percent. All locations east of the Mississippi River were drought free for the first time since May 2005.
  • The U.S. Climate Extremes Index (USCEI), an index that tracks the highest and lowest 10 percent of extremes in temperature, precipitation, tropical cyclones, and drought across the contiguous U.S., was 90 percent of average during June. Despite the below-average USCEI, extremes in warm daytime and warm night time temperatures and the spatial extent of the nation experiencing both wet and dry extremes were both above average.
  • Based on NOAA's Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index (REDTI), the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand during June was above average and ranked as the 26th highest June value in the 119-year period of record.
  • On a local basis, over three times as many record warm highs and lows occurred than record cold highs and lows. Approximately 1,300 record warm daily high temperature records and 1,480 record warm daily low temperature records were tied or broken. In comparison, approximately 200 record cold daily low temperature records and 510 record cold daily high temperature records were tied or broken. (These numbers are preliminary and are expected to change as more data arrive.)
  • Climate Highlights — year-to-date (January – June)
  • The year-to-date contiguous U.S. temperature of 48.1°F was 0.5°F above the 20th century average. Above-average temperatures were observed in parts of the Northeast and West, where California had its 11th warmest 6-month period. Below-average temperatures were observed throughout the Mississippi River Valley from Minnesota to Mississippi.
  • The nationally average precipitation total of 15.71 inches for the first half of 2013 (January-June) was 0.87 inch above average and the 28th wettest year-to-date period in the nation's 119-year period of record. Rainfall was not evenly distributed across the country, however. Dry precipitation extremes were observed in the West and wet precipitation extremes were observed in the East. Numerous U.S. cities had their record wettest and record driest start to the year. A list of those cities is available here.
  • Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, and New Mexico each had January-June precipitation totals ranking among their 10 lowest. California had its driest first six months of the year with a precipitation total of 4.46 inches, 9.80 inches below average and 1.51 inches less than the previous record dry January-June of 1984.
  • Above-average precipitation was widespread across the eastern half of the country, with 12 states having one of their 10 wettest year-to-date periods. Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin were all record wet for January-June.
  • The USCEI was 80 percent of average during January-June. Despite the below-average USCEI, extremes in the spatial extent of drought and 1-day precipitation totals were above average.
  • The REDTI value for the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand during January-June was slightly below average.

Alaska Temperature and Precipitation:

  • Alaska had its 3rd warmest June since records began in 1918, with a temperature 4.0°F (2.2°C) above the 1971–2000 average.
  • Alaska had its 32nd coolest April-June since records began in 1918, with a temperature 1.3°F (0.7°C) below the 1971–2000 average.
  • Alaska had its 33rd warmest January-June since records began in 1918, with a temperature 0.9°F (0.5°C) above the 1971–2000 average.
  • Alaska had its 47th wettest June since records began in 1918, with an anomaly that was 7.5 percent below the 1971–2000 average.
  • Alaska had its 48th wettest April-June since records began in 1918, with an anomaly that was 1.2 percent below the 1971–2000 average.
  • Alaska had its 29th wettest January-June since records began in 1918, with an anomaly that was 15.7 percent 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-average month in the Northeast. With an average temperature of 66.1 degrees F (18.9 degrees C), it was 0.7 degrees F (0.4 degrees C) above average. The lone cool state was New York with a departure of -0.1 degrees (-0.1 degrees C). Four states ranked this June among their top twenty warmest: Delaware, 12th warmest; Rhode Island, 17th warmest; Maryland, 18th warmest; and Massachusetts, 19th warmest. Massachusetts had the greatest departure, +1.7 degrees F (0.9 degrees C), followed closely by Delaware with a departure of +1.6 degrees F (0.9 degrees C). Departures for the other states ranged from +1.1 degrees F (0.6 degrees C) in Rhode Island and Connecticut to +0.5 degrees F (0.3 degrees C) in Vermont and Maine.
  • June was very wet in the Northeast. Receiving 7.19 inches (182.63 mm) of precipitation, 172 percent of normal, it was the third wettest June since 1895 for the region. All twelve states were wetter than normal with eleven of the states ranking this June among their top ten wettest. Delaware and New Jersey reported their wettest June on record receiving 283 percent of normal precipitation and 238 percent of normal respectively. Receiving 188 percent of normal, New York had its second wettest June in 119 years. June 2013 was the third wettest on record in Connecticut (233 percent of normal) and Maryland (198 percent of normal) and the fourth wettest in Massachusetts (224 percent of normal), Rhode Island (274 percent of normal), and Vermont (181 percent of normal). Pennsylvania (138 percent of normal) and Maine (169 percent of normal) had their seventh wettest June since recordkeeping began, New Hampshire (156 percent of normal) had its ninth wettest, and West Virginia (140 percent of normal) reported its 12th wettest.
  • At the beginning of June, parts of New England were experiencing abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate drought (D1) conditions and New York and New Jersey had areas of D0. Copious amounts of rain fell throughout the month erasing dry conditions in those areas. Parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia also started the month with D0 and D1 conditions. Plentiful rainfall eased dryness in those states with the exception of a small area of D0 in northern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania.
  • Severe thunderstorms on the 2nd produced two EF-0 tornadoes and straight-line winds of 80 mph (35.8 m/s) in Maine. The storms knocked down several hundred trees, some of which fell on buildings and vehicles. A slow-moving low and the remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea dumped heavy rain on the region from June 6-8. Fourteen of the Northeast's thirty-five first-order climate sites broke daily precipitation records and flooding was reported from northern New Jersey to coastal Massachusetts. Severe thunderstorms on the 10th spawned four EF-0 tornadoes in Maryland and an EF-0 tornado in Delaware. The tornadoes, along with straight-line winds, downed trees and damaged homes and various structures. Another round of severe storms generated three EF-0 tornadoes in Maryland and straight-line winds of 75-80 mph (33.5-35.8 m/s) in West Virginia on the 13th. The winds caused tree and structural damage while heavy rain triggered flash flooding in Roane County, West Virginia. At least 100 homes were flooded and sections of roads were washed away. On the 24th, straight-line winds of 90-100 mph (40.2-44.7 m/s) downed trees in New York and a lightning strike near a scout camp in New Hampshire sent 23 scouts to the hospital. From June 27-30, a wet, unsettled weather pattern over the Northeast caused daily torrential downpours. For instance, on the 30th, two inches (50.8 mm) of rain was reported to have fallen in 30 minutes in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. Flash flooding was reported in almost every state with northern Pennsylvania and eastern New York hit particularly hard. Record flooding occurred on the Oneida Creek in Oneida and Madison Counties in New York. The highest (preliminary) observed value was 17.23 feet (5.25 m) on the 28th. The previous record was 15.55 feet (4.74 m). Across the region, floodwaters washed out roads and bridges and damaged homes and other buildings. Numerous water rescues were performed throughout the four days, as people became stuck in rising waters in their cars and homes. For example, on the 27th, all roads in and out of DuBois, Pennsylvania, were impassable due to up to four feet (1.22 m) of water covering them and on the 28th, up to 100 people were trapped in their homes in Fort Plain, New York, as the town was inundated with water. In addition to flooding, the storms packed golfball-size hail and damaging winds, spawned two EF-1 tornadoes on the 27th in central Pennsylvania, and produced a funnel cloud and water spout in Maryland on the 30th.
  • 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 close to normal across the Midwest. Nearly all locations were within 2 degrees F (1 C) of normal. Temperatures remained close to normal throughout the month without big swings above and below normal. Minimum temperatures were at or just above normal while maximum temperatures were at or just below normal. Relatively few daily temperature records were set with the mostly seasonable temperatures in the region in June.
  • June precipitation was below normal in limited areas: the northern half of Michigan, northwest and north central Minnesota, extreme southern Missouri, and west of a line from northwest Iowa into west central Illinois and then back to west central Missouri. Totals were more than 50 percent of normal in nearly all locations. The remaining areas received above normal precipitation totals in June. Totals were about twice normal in southern Wisconsin, southeast Michigan, northeast Ohio and an area on the Illinois-Indiana border to the south of Terre Haute, Indiana.
  • With the rain, much of the remaining drought areas in the Midwest shrank away. The only remaining pocket of drought was moderate drought in northern Minnesota around Red Lake. The decrease in drought coverage and intensity in June brought drought areas from about 3.5 percent down to less than 1 percent and the small area of severe drought in southwest Minnesota became drought free in June.
  • For the second straight month severe weather was widespread across the Midwest. The period ending in April was the quietest 12-month period on record since 1950 but severe weather returned with reports across the region since that time. June started off fairly quiet with sparse reports on two of the first seven days in June (six of first eleven). From there things picked up with a derecho moving across the region on the 12th kicking off a spell where 15 of 16 days (no reports on the 19th) had numerous severe weather reports. The last three days of the month were quieter, though there were severe weather reports on each of those days. Tornadoes were reported in seven of the nine Midwest states in June bypassing only Missouri and Michigan.
  • Following the drought stricken 2012, the first six months are off to a record wet start in much of the Midwest. Year-to-date regional precipitation totals rank as the wettest January to June period on record (records start in 1895) for the Midwest as a whole. Statewide values also ranked as the wettest in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Three additional states, Minnesota (3rd), Indiana (8th), and Missouri (9th), ranked among the top 10 wettest on record. Kentucky ranked as the 27th wettest while Ohio ranked as the median value (60th) in the 119-year record.
  • 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 generally between 1 and 2 degrees F (0.5 and 1.1 degrees C) above average across much of the Southeast region, except across southwest Florida and central portions of Georgia and the Carolinas, where temperatures were slightly below average. Monthly temperatures were also below average across the U.S. Virgin Islands, while temperatures across Puerto Rico were near average for the month. The warmest weather of the month occurred on the 13th as temperatures reached the mid and upper 90s F (30s C) across a large portion of the region. The remainder of the month exhibited relatively few high maximum temperature extremes. In fact, the number of 90 degree F (32.2 degrees C) and greater days through the first half of the year was significantly lower than normal at a number of locations. Both Atlanta, GA and Athens, GA recorded only four such days compared to an average of 11 and 16 days, respectively. Greensboro, NC logged only two 90 degree F and greater days compared to an average of 11 days. In contrast, minimum temperatures were exceptionally warm in June. Several locations recorded monthly minimum temperature departures of 5 to 6 degrees F (2.8 to 3.3 degrees C) above average, as over 200 daily high minimum temperature records were tied or broken across the region.
  • June was an exceptionally wet month across the Southeast, as more than half of the region recorded monthly precipitation totals in excess of 10 inches (254 mm), which was between 200 and 400 percent of normal. Augusta, GA and Macon, GA recorded their wettest June on record with 10.83 and 12.25 inches (275 and 311 mm), respectively. Remarkably, through the first half of the year, Macon, GA has received 42 inches (1067 mm) of precipitation, which is 8 inches (203 mm) more than it received for the entire year in 2012. Several locations recorded one of their top 5 wettest Junes on record, including Raleigh-Durham, NC (3rd wettest), Asheville, NC (3rd wettest), Washington, D.C. (4th wettest), Atlanta, GA (4th wettest), and Birmingham, AL (4th wettest). Precipitation in June was also above average across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The number of rainy days for the month was significantly higher than normal at a number of locations. In particular, Greensboro, NC and Roanoke, VA reported 18 days of measurable rainfall, the most for any June at either location in records extending back to 1903 and 1912, respectively. Widespread rain fell from Florida to Virginia as Tropical Storm Andrea tracked across the region from the 5th to the 8th of the month. Daily rainfall totals exceeded 5 inches (127 mm) locally across parts of the Florida Peninsula and central and eastern portions of North Carolina and Virginia. Raleigh-Durham, NC recorded 5.14 inches (131 mm) of rain on the 7th, which ranked as the second highest daily rainfall total for June and sixth highest total for any calendar day in a record extending back to 1887. A plume of deep tropical moisture spread across the Southeast on the 29th and 30th of the month, resulting in locally heavy downpours and significant flooding. Chapel Hill, NC recorded over 3 inches (76 mm) of rain in just 83 minutes during the afternoon of the 30th. Flood damage was reported in over 60 buildings on the University of North Carolina campus and dozens of residences throughout the town were condemned. Several water rescues were also performed in flooded streets.
  • There were 958 reports of severe weather across the Southeast in June, including 21 confirmed tornadoes. Eight of these occurred on the 5th and 6th of the month in association with Tropical Storm Andrea. All of these tornadoes were spawned across the Florida Peninsula and were weak (EF-0 and EF-1). One injury was reported in Palm Beach County when an elderly woman was struck by debris from a large oak tree that broke through her bedroom window. A derecho, or line of fast-moving thunderstorms, with winds in excess of 60 mph tracked from the Midwest through the Appalachians and across Virginia, North Carolina, and northern parts of South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama during the afternoon and evening hours of the 13th. High winds toppled trees and power lines, resulting in several hundred thousand power outages across Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. Four deaths were confirmed across the Southeast, three of which resulted from falling trees. In addition, there were three confirmed tornadoes, two of which touched down in northern metropolitan Atlanta, GA. One of these tornadoes contributed to nine injuries in Cherokee County. The third tornado occurred in the Big Creek region of the Great Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina at an elevation above 2,000 feet (609 m).
  • Tropical Storm Andrea, the first named storm of the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, formed in the Gulf of Mexico on the 5th of the month. She made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida a day later with peak winds of 65 mph. Andrea?s fast movement helped limit the amount of rainfall, flooding, and erosion along the Southeast coast, though some minor, localized flooding was reported in the Tampa Bay area. Most of the damage from Andrea resulted from the tornadoes that were spawned across the Florida Peninsula. One fatality was confirmed in southwest Virginia when a man?s car hydroplaned on Interstate-77 and struck a tractor-trailer. The high winds from Andrea produced strong rip currents that led to numerous water rescues along the northern Gulf coast.
  • By the end of June the Southeast region was completely drought-free, marking the first such occurrence in nearly three years. Abnormally dry (D0) conditions remained across the western Panhandle of Florida and parts of southern Alabama and extreme southwestern Georgia. The heavy rains in June had a significant impact on agriculture in the region. The harvesting and cultivation of crops, particularly wheat, hay, and soybeans, as well as the planting of new crops, such peanuts, potatoes, and vegetables, were delayed due to the wet weather and excessive soil moisture. For some farmers, less than half of their crops had been harvested by the end of the month, which may reduce their potential yield. In North Carolina, more than 30 percent of the wheat crop across the state had yet to be harvested. Diseases and pests were also observed across parts of Georgia and the Carolinas, while hay was unable to be cut and baled across parts of Virginia due to excess moisture. The quality of other crops, such as small grains and tobacco, were also negatively affected by the wet weather.
  • 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)
  • June 2013 average temperatures were generally near normal in the east and above normal in the west across the High Plains Region. The areas with average temperatures of about 2.0 degrees F (1.1 degrees C) above/below normal included North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, eastern Kansas, and northern Wyoming. Meanwhile, southern Wyoming, most of Colorado, and western Kansas had average temperature departures of 2.0-6.0 degrees F (1.1-3.3 degrees C) above normal. Some locations within the warmer than normal area broke into the top ten warmest Junes on record. One example was Colorado Springs, Colorado which had its 6th warmest June on record with an average temperature of 70.0 degrees F (21.1 degrees C). Although 4.9 degrees F (2.7 degrees C) above normal, this was not even close to the record that was set last year with 73.2 degrees F (22.9 degrees C). Interestingly, each June since 2010 has ranked in the top 10 warmest Junes in Colorado Springs (period of record 1894-2013). Another example was Laramie, Wyoming. With an average temperature of 62.5 degrees F (16.9 degrees C), Laramie had its 2nd warmest June. Just last year, Laramie set a new record for warmest June with 64.0 degrees F (17.8 degrees C). Now, the past two Junes hold the top two spots (period of record 1948-2013).
  • June was on the drier side in the High Plains Region with most areas receiving less than 70 percent of normal precipitation. It was especially dry for most of Colorado and Wyoming which received less than 50 percent of normal precipitation and many locations in the western areas of those states received little to no precipitation. One such location was Rock Springs, Wyoming which tied with 2012 and 1956 for the driest June on record with only a trace amount of precipitation (period of record 1948-2013). There were some portions of the Region which received ample precipitation including northwestern and southeastern North Dakota, northeastern Wyoming, and a few other scattered pockets. In the Red River Valley, several slow moving storm systems brought heavy precipitation, wind, and hail. In addition to flash flooding, the heavy rains caused area rivers to rise above flood stage. Fargo, North Dakota was one of the wet spots in the Region and has been since May. Fargo set a new record for May 1-June 30 precipitation with 14.89 inches (378 mm). 7.73 inches (196 mm) fell in June marking the 7th wettest and 7.16 inches (182 mm) fell in May, marking the 4th wettest (period of record 1881-2013). Hot, dry, and windy weather created dangerous fire conditions in Colorado. Several fires burned in Colorado; however two were of note - the Black Forest Fire and the West Fork Complex Fire. According to InciWeb, the Black Forest Fire started on June 11th due to unknown causes. The fire, located northeast of Colorado Springs, spread quickly due to high winds and thousands of people had to evacuate from the area. Ultimately, this fire became the most destructive in Colorado history, in terms of structures burned, by burning over 500 homes. Just last year, the Waldo Canyon Fire had been deemed the most destructive with 346 homes destroyed. Another fire, the West Fork Complex Fire, consists of three fires which were started by lightning on June 5th. The fire is located in southern Colorado roughly between Durango and Alamosa. This area has steep, rugged terrain and large amounts of beetle-killed trees. These factors created a dangerous situation for firefighters and by the end of June only 2% of the fire had been contained and over 92,000 acres had burned.
  • Severe weather was reported somewhere in the High Plains Region on all but 3 days this month and resulted in a total of 910 reports (tornadoes, high winds, and large hail). Some interesting events occurred on the 18th and 20th. On June 18th a tornado moved across the eastern side of the Denver International Airport. The ASOS site located at the airport reported a 97 mph wind gust as the tornado went by. On the 21st, a bow echo caused widespread wind damage in central and northeast South Dakota. Winds of up to 90 mph uprooted trees and caused structural damage. At least 3 tornadoes were reported as well. On the other side of the state, hail of up to 4.25 inches was reported that same day.
  • The changes in the U.S. Drought Monitor this month showed a general improvement in the east and persistence in the west. At the end of June, approximately 67 percent of the Region was in moderate (D1) to exceptional (D4) drought - down from 73 percent at the end of May. Widespread, beneficial rains led to improvements across much of South Dakota, eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, and northern Wyoming. However, much of southern Wyoming and western Colorado had little to no precipitation and drought conditions persisted or worsened there. Colorado contended with high temperatures, little rainfall, and large wildfires and as of June 25th, 100 percent of the state was in the D1-D4 categories. Colorado was the only state in the Region which did not have any improvements this month. The large D4 area in eastern Colorado and western Kansas persisted as well. According to the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook released June 20th, some areas of drought in central South Dakota, eastern Nebraska, and eastern Kansas were expected to improve or be removed. Drought was expected to persist elsewhere through September 2013.
  • For more information, please go to the High Plains Regional Climate Center Home Page.
  • Southern Region: (Information provided by the Southern Regional Climate Center)
  • For the Southern Region, the month of June proved to be a slightly warmer than normal month across the board. Temperatures across the six states generally averaged between 0 to 4 degrees F (0 to 2.22 degrees C) above normal, with the highest anomalies occurring in northwestern Texas and western Oklahoma. The state average temperatures for the month are as follows: Arkansas with 77.00 degrees F (25.00 degrees C), Louisiana with 80.50 degrees F (26.94 degrees C), Mississippi with 78.70 degrees F (25.94 degrees C), Oklahoma with 78.10 degrees F (25.61 degrees C), Tennessee with 74.50 degrees F (23.61 degrees C), and Texas with 81.70 degrees F (27.61 degrees C). For Texas, it was the seventeenth warmest June on record (1895-2013). All other state ranking fell within the middle two quartiles.
  • June was generally a drier than normal month for the Southern Region, with the exception of central Mississippi, northern Louisiana, and eastern Tennessee. The driest area of the region occurred in central Texas where a bulk of the stations reported less than half the expected values for the month. This was also the case in northwestern Arkansas and for some parishes in southeastern Louisiana. Eastern Tennessee was on the wet end of the spectrum, reporting between one hundred and fifty to two hundred percent of normal. The state average precipitation totals are as follows: Arkansas with 3.23 inches (82.04 mm), Louisiana with 4.65 inches (118.11 mm), Mississippi with 4.27 inches (108.46 mm), Oklahoma with 4.06 inches (103.12 mm), Tennessee with 5.68 inches (144.27 mm), and Texas with 2.39 inches (60.71 mm). For Tennessee it was th eighteenth wettest June on record (1895-2013). The state rankings for all other states fell within the two middle quartiles.
  • Drought conditions have remained fairly steady over the month of June. Severe to extreme drought continue to plague much of Texas and Oklahoma. Some improvement has been observed in the central portions of Oklahoma, while Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee remain drought-free.
  • In Texas, the heat causing problems late in the month. Several cities saw their greatest June maximum temperatures ever and dozens of other rural regions saw the same. This had a remarkable effect on reservoirs in East Texas, causing several water planning regions, from Dallas/Fort Worth to Houston and Nacogdoches, to see thousands of acre-feet in surface water loss in days. Statewide reservoir storage dropped by over a percent for the first time in months, falling below end of month levels for May and April. Though much of the state saw less than normal precipitation, the area around Eagle Pass experienced a deluge of rainfall and far greater than normal precipitation all in two days. On the night of June 17, a slow moving storm dropped more than 10 inches (254 mm) of rain in Maverick County, eliciting 438 water rescues and hospitalized 9 people. Earlier, a line of storms moved from north to south across the state from June 8 to 9, bringing heavy rains to Dallas and strong winds knocking out power to over 17,000 customers in Houston. On June 17, the Panhandle and Big Country saw supercell thunderstorms crossing over Lubbock and Abilene, dropping up to baseball sized hail around Lubbock International Airport and bringing hurricane force winds to Abilene, causing 21,500 to lose power (Information provided by the Texas State Climate Office).
  • On June 14, 2013, a tornado caused some roof damage in Uvalde County, Texas. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported. Other than a few other touchdowns, it was a relatively quiet month for tornadoes in the Southern Region.
  • For more information, please go to the Southern Regional Climate Center Home Page.
  • Western Region: (Information provided by the Western Regional Climate Center)
  • June started out warm, turned cool, then returned to extreme and record warmth at month end, with little relief for most areas affected by ongoing drought.
  • Impressive high temperature records fell in the Southwest. Tucson, Arizona saw its first June on record (1895+) where all days logged triple digit highs. This was the warmest June in 119 years at both Tucson, with an average 89.5 F (31.9 C), and at Phoenix, with an average 94.8 F (34.8 C). On the 30th, Death Valley, California hit 129 F (53.9 C), the hottest June temperature ever at this station, and also equal to the highest June reading in United States history. On the same day, Las Vegas, Nevada tied its all-time hottest temperature for any month at 117 F (47.2 C), ending the warmest June in their 76-year record with an average 91.5 F (33.0 C). Reno, Nevada hit 100 F (37.8 C) on the 7th, the earliest century mark seen in their 76 year record, recorded their warmest June night (68 F / 20 C) on the 29th, capping their third warmest June at 71.8 F (22.1 C). Salt Lake City, Utah saw its highest June temperature on record (1874+) with 105 F (40.6 C) readings on both the 28th and 29th, to end their third warmest June, averaging 75.3 F (24.1 C). Elko, Nevada also tied its all-time June record high on the 30th at 104 F (40.0 C).
  • Not atypically, many locations in Southern California, southern Nevada, Utah, and Arizona reported no June precipitation. Precipitation totals for the last twelve months were a scant 5.85 in (149 mm) in Los Angeles, the 6th driest such period in 137 years and 39% of normal. Thunderstorms throughout the month brought much needed precipitation to isolated locations in the Great Basin, Arizona, eastern New Mexico and Colorado. However, Salt Lake City, Utah recorded no measurable precipitation for the second June in a row and only the 3rd June since 1948. Drought conditions worsened this month over Four Corners region, northern Great Basin, and Wyoming.
  • Near the Canadian border, conditions were cool as low pressure systems paraded past. These systems brought ample June precipitation to eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, the Idaho panhandle, and northern Montana. Sunnyside, in south-central Washington, logged its second wettest June in a 119-year record at 2.43 in (62 mm). Glasgow, in northeastern Montana, received 4.19 in (106 mm) precipitation, 180% of normal. An atmospheric river event, a feature more typical of December and January, doused parts of northern California near the end of the month. Santa Rosa, California, received 1.5 in (38 mm) for the month, 625% of the normal 0.24 in (6 mm).
  • After a cooler than normal spring, a mid-June heat wave brought record-breaking temperatures to South Central Alaska. McGrath hit 94 F (34.4 C) on June 17, shattering the previous all-time record at that location of 90 F (32.2 C) from June 15, 1969. Talkeetna hit 96 F (35.6 C), on the 17th as well, 5 F (2.8 C) above the standing record 91 F (32.8 C), and just 4 F (2.2 C) shy of the all-time annual Alaska record. Several other locations also saw all-time records tied or broken. Heat and continuing dryness greatly increased the incidence of fire in interior Alaska.
  • June 7 and 16: Dust storms in Albuquerque, New Mexico: Strong outflow from thunderstorms churned up dust from the dry land surface twice this month, creating walls of dust that moved through the Albuquerque metro area. Though common in other parts of the Southwest, these dust storms are not frequently observed in Albuquerque.
  • June 10: Winnemucca dust storm: A dust storm caused 27 vehicles to crash and one fatality on Interstate 80 near Winnemucca, Nevada. High afternoon winds moved dust across the highway, reducing visibility.
  • June 11-20: Black Forest Fire, Colorado: The Black Forest Fire occurred within an urbanized area in central Colorado. The blaze charred 14,280 acres (5779 hectares), destroyed 502 structures and damaged 18, many of them homes.
  • Late June: Yarnell Hill fire, Arizona: 19 firefighter fatalities: A lightning strike ignited the Yarnell Hill wildfire southwest of Prescott, Arizona on June 28. The fire grew quickly on June 30 with hot, dry, and windy conditions. A change in winds and fire movement trapped the 19 firefighters on June 30. The fire had reached approximately 8,500 acres (3440 hectares) by the end of the month and threatened 250 structures.
  • June (all month) Fires in the West: At month's end, there were 28 large fires burning in the West. Despite loss of life and property, for the year-to-date, 2013 is at approximately 60% of the 10-year average for both number of fires and acres burned in the nation.
  • For more information, please go to the Western Regional Climate Center Home Page.

See NCDC's Monthly Records web-page for weather and climate records for the most recent month. For additional national, regional, and statewide data and graphics from 1895-present, for any period, please visit the Climate at a Glance page.

PLEASE NOTE: All of the temperature and precipitation ranks and values are based on preliminary data. The ranks will change when the final data are processed, but will not be replaced on these pages. Graphics based on final data are provided on the Temperature and Precipitation Maps page and the Climate at a Glance page as they become available.

Citing This Report

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Monthly National Climate Report for June 2013, published online July 2013, retrieved on April 20, 2024 from https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/national/201306.