July 2020 was characterized by a late-arriving monsoon leading to one of the driest Julys on record in many cities, as well as fairly hot weather across the Front Range much of the month. Here’s a quick and colorful recap of our weather during July and how it relates to climatology.
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Top Weather Highlights of July 2020:
HOT DOG! A persistent ridging patter across the Four Corners region led to a sunny, dry, and hot month of July for the most part in the Front Range. Mean temperatures in Colorado and much of the continental United States finished above normal for the month.
WE KEPT PACE WITH 2012? 23 out of 31 days in the month of July exceeded 90°F in Denver. At one point, the city was keeping pace with 2012, the brutally hot year with the most 90+ degree days on record. Through July 31st, Denver has had 42 90+ degree days, second only to 2012 (46 days).
Today was Denver's 33rd 90 Degree Day of the year. 2020 remains on pace with the other years that had the most 90 Degree Days, including 2012. As Denver keeps recording 90 Degree Days, 2020 may end up being a Top 5 year. The last year with less than average was 2014. #COwx pic.twitter.com/ybzCj6RLm8
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) July 18, 2020
TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT: For those wondering, Boulder has had a more modest number of 90+ degree days…only 24 through the end of August. Boulder did do something Denver didn’t during the month though….hit the century mark on July 18th!
Triple digit days so far in 2020: Boulder 1, Denver 0#COWx #HeatWave #NewRecordHigh #TripleDigit #Boulderwx pic.twitter.com/RRwSqOK3K0
— BoulderCAST Weather (@BoulderCAST) July 19, 2020
BETTER LATE THEN NEVER? Our speculation that the monsoon would arrive late to the party in Colorado this year was confirmed with a start date two weeks late for the American Southwest, beginning officially around July 24th. As soon as the monsoon began, it disappeared with the unfavorable monsoon-blocking pattern returning just a week later.
#Monsoon season has officially begun in Colorado! ⛈️
The beneficial rains are already on the way! We take a look at the current monsoonal pattern, the cool and wet forecast for the next five days, and why we think the rainy pattern won't last long: https://t.co/MJsKdHnq4h#COwx pic.twitter.com/7uL5EzPwJQ
— BoulderCAST Weather (@BoulderCAST) July 24, 2020
A DISAPPOINTING MONSOON: Many areas in Colorado experienced one of their driest Julys on record. This July was Boulder’s #5 driest (as you will soon see).
July 2020 rainfall totals across northeast Colorado. Many areas saw less than 1″ of rain during the month.
According to the United States Drought Monitor, 99.4% of Colorado now has a drought classification as of July 28th, up from 76% two months ago. Drought has spread like wildfire across the Four Corners states and Wyoming.
Further south in Arizona, Tucson has endured its 6th most parched summer so far through the end of July. The 2020 Monsoon has been disappointing all around, not only in Colorado. There’s no arguing that!
Starting a daily countdown to the driest monsoon on record for Tucson.
All-time driest monsoon:
1.59" in 1924Driest monsoons thru 8/2:
1) 0.04"/1995
2) 0.28"/1993
3) 0.32"/1947
4) 0.42"/1895
5) 0.44"/1991
6) 0.46"/2020
7) 0.60"/1902
8T) 0.65"/1900 & 1920
10) 0.67"/1994#azwx— 520climate (@520climate) August 3, 2020
ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE! After years of requests, the official BoulderCAST Podcast has returned after a four-year hiatus. We released Episodes #27 and #28 during the month of July, covering juicy weather topics like the delayed monsoon, how lightning forms, and the heat wave. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform! Our team plans to release a few episodes each month moving forward.
*NEW PODCAST EPISODE* Do we expect to see any changes from the hot and dry summer we’ve had so far? Where is the monsoon? Why are Colorado’s cold fronts unique compared to the rest of the country?
LISTEN: https://t.co/ykgd5wYZab#COwx #Monsoon #Drought #Boulderwx #Podcast pic.twitter.com/WeWFCDxktF
— BoulderCAST Weather (@BoulderCAST) July 18, 2020
July 2020 Recap Graphics:
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