First Seven Months of 2015 Were Warmest on Record in Washington, Oregon

Jon Erdman
Published: August 7,2015

Statewide January-July 2015 temperature rankings. Dark red shading denotes states setting a record hot January-July period. Orange shading denotes states much warmer than average. Blue shadings denote states cooler than average.
(NOAA/NCEI)

The first seven months of 2015 were the warmest on record in two western states, while one eastern state had its record wettest July, according to a new report from NOAA.
Washington and Oregon each shattered their record warmest January through July period in 2015. Both states' previous record hottest first seven months of any year was set in 1992.
Alaska, California, Nevada and Idaho each experienced their second warmest January through July. California fell just short of its record set last year. Three of the warmest January-July periods on record in California have now occurred over the past five years.
Six other states chalked up a top 10 warmest January through July:
- Utah: Third warmest
- Florida, Wyoming: Fourth warmest
- Arizona: Fifth warmest
- Montana: Sixth warmest
- Colorado: Seventh warmest
NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information dataset dates to 1895.
(MORE: Earth on Record Warm Year Pace)
On the other end of the spectrum, the first seven months of 2015 were among the top dozen coolest such periods on record in three Northeast states: Maine (12th), New York (12th) and Vermont (11th).
It was the coolest January-July since 1948 in Maine, 1978 in New York, and 1940 in Vermont.
Eleven other states from the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley to southern New England were demonstrably cooler than average in January-July 2015.
Overall, January-July was the 10th warmest on record for the contiguous United States.

Statewide July 2015 temperature rankings. Orange shading denotes states much warmer than average. Light blue states denote states cooler than average.
(NOAA/NCEI)

For July alone, three states had a top five hottest July.
Louisiana had its third warmest July, topped only by 1998 and 1980. Washington state tied with 1958 for its fourth hottest July and Florida sweated through its fifth hottest July in 2015.
(RECAPS: July Records | Best Imagery)
Persistent high pressure aloft centered near or offshore of the Pacific Northwest and the lack of soil moisture from the ongoing drought was the culprit for the Northwest's persistent July heat.
Meanwhile, a strip of states from Nevada and Arizona to Ohio were significant cooler than average in July.
A persistent pattern channeling subtropical moisture into California, the Desert Southwest, Rockies, Corn Belt and Ohio Valley helped flare up thunderstorm clusters and kept the heat somewhat at bay, relative to average.
Because of this, July was only slightly warmer than average for the Lower 48 States.

Statewide July 2015 precipitation rankings. Dark green shading denotes state (Kentucky) setting a record wet July. Lighter green shadings denote wetter-than-average states. Yellow and brown shadings denote states drier than average.
(NOAA/NCEI)

July's Soaking

Kentucky shattered its previous wettest July set in 1910, with a statewide average rainfall of 8.99 inches.
Perhaps most strange about July was a rain event in California in what is typically the dry season.
Thanks to moisture from former Hurricane Dolores, the Golden State had its second wettest July, topped only by July 1913 – strangely also when Death Valley set what is now recognized as the Earth's hottest recorded air temperature.
(RECAP: Historic July Rainfall in California)
Five other states from the Appalachians to the Great Basin had their top 10 wettest July:
- Missouri: Fourth wettest
- Nevada: Fifth wettest
- Indiana: Seventh wettest
- West Virginia: Ninth wettest
- New Mexico: Tenth wettest
Despite a drier July, Texas and Oklahoma still have had their second wettest January-July on record. Only 2007 had a wetter first seven months of the year in the Lone Star State. In Oklahoma, it's been the wettest January-July since 1957, with a statewide average of 33.92 inches of precipitation, over 13 inches above average.
Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, and New Mexico have also seen a top 10 wettest January-July in 2015.
On the dry, California (fifth), Connecticut (seventh), and Oregon (ninth) have seen one of their driest years-to-date.
You can read the entire July 2015 State of the Climate Report from NOAA here.

MORE: 2014-2015 Warmest Winter on Record Cities