July's Extreme Heat Breaks Records Across South

Brian Donegan
Published: August 2,2016
July 2016 was a month for the record books in parts of the southern United States, with some cities recording their all-time hottest July or even their hottest month in history.
A large ridge of high pressure in the upper atmosphere dominated the weather across the South for a large portion of July. Underneath a ridge, the air sinks and warms by compression, yielding very hot temperatures at the surface.
(MORE: Extended Forecast for Late Summer and Early Fall)

Hottest Month on Record

The following locations not only saw their hottest July, but also their hottest calendar month in history during July 2016.
In Midland, Texas, July was the hottest month on record with an average temperature of 88.2 degrees. The old record was 87.8 degrees in August 2011.
Charleston, South Carolina, and West Palm Beach, Florida, also registered their warmest month on record in July 2016, both with an average temperature of 86.2 degrees.
Not seen on the map below, Anchorage, Alaska, recorded its warmest month on record in July 2016 as the average temperature climbed to 62.8 degrees. The old record was 62.5 degrees in July 1977.

Record-Breaking July Heat

Seven cities in Florida measured reported their hottest July on record: Jacksonville Beach, Daytona Beach, Orlando, Lakeland, Melbourne, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale.
Houston and New Orleans are two Gulf Coast cities that recorded their warmest July on record.
In the Desert Southwest, El Paso, Texas, and Roswell, New Mexico, both experienced their warmest July on record.
Portions of the Southeast were included in the cluster of cities that saw the warmest July on record. Columbia, South Carolina; Alma, Georgia; Brunswick, Georgia; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Meridian, Mississippi, all ended up with their warmest July in history.
Not only was July a historical month in regards to temperatures, it was also the driest month for some locations.
(MORE: Parts of 49 States Are Either in Drought or Abnormally Dry)

Record Dry July in These Southern Cities

San Angelo, Texas tied its driest month on record in July 2016, picking up only a trace of rainfall the entire month.
Some areas in Florida also had their driest July on record, such as Gainesville (1.49 inches), Vero Beach (0.61 inches) and Ocala (2.48 inches).
Columbus, Georgia, (0.96 inches) ended up with its driest July, as well.
On the other end of the spectrum, Bowling Green, Kentucky, topped its previous record wet July, tallying 11.12 inches of rain.