Record July Cold in Madison, Wisconsin

For previous record temperature posts, see:
Record Heat
Record Cold

The National Weather Service reports that July was the coldest on record at Madison, Wisconsin. It was also a very dry month in the state:

The average temperature at Truax Field in Madison for July 2009 was a record 65.7 degrees or 5.9 degrees below normal. The previous record was 66.7 degrees in 1891. Records go back to 1869. It was also a dry month with 1.94" of rainfall. This makes July 2009 the 7th driest on record for Madison. The driest July was in 1909 when only 0.29" of rain fell.

The average temperature at Mitchell Field in Milwaukee for July 2009 was 68.6 degrees or 3.5 degrees below normal. This is not cool enough to be in the top 10 coolest on record. However, it was dry and the 0.71" of rain that fell during July 2009 at Mitchell was the 4th driest on record. The driest July was in 1936 when only 0.28" of rain fell.

Image (click to enlarge): Daily temperatures, May-July, 2009, at Madison, Wisconsin, from National Weather Service

Coolest July on Record in Central and Northern Illinois

For previous record temperature posts, see:
Record Heat
Record Cold

The National Weather Service (NWS) reports that July 2009 was the coolest on record at Peoria and Lincoln, Illinois, and the second coolest at Springfield and Champaign:

In Peoria, the average temperature during the month was 70.7 degrees, which was 4.4 degrees below normal. This was the coolest July on record in Peoria, breaking the old record of 71.2 degrees set in 1971. Daily record cool highs were set on the 1st (69 degrees), 18th (71), and 19th (73).

The average temperature for Lincoln was 69.4 degrees, which was 5.6 degrees below normal. This was the coolest July on record, breaking the record of 71.3 degrees in 1924. Record cool highs were set on July 1 (70), July 17 (72), and July 18 (71). Lincoln tied a record low of 49 degrees on the 20th.

In Springfield, the average temperature was 71.2 degrees, which was 5.1 degrees below normal. It was the 2nd coolest July on record, surpassed only by a 71.0 degree average in 1891. A daily record cool high was set on July 18th (71), while Springfield set a record low of 52 degrees on the 20th.

Through July 30th, the average temperature for Champaign is 70.5 degrees (4.5 degrees below normal) and ranked as the 2nd coolest July on record. Daily record low highs were set on July 4 (67) and July 18 (73).

It is interesting to note that no 90 degree high temperatures were reached at these sites in July. This only happened in one other year, 2000. The warmest day at Peoria was 87 (15th) and the warmest day in Lincoln and Springfield was 86, both on the 7th. The coldest July monthly maximum temperature since 1948 was 88 in Peoria and Springfield, and 89 in Lincoln, all set in 2000. Champaign's highest temperature was 87 degrees (28th), Decatur was 86 (28th), Mattoon 87 (7th), Lawrenceville 88 (7th), and Bloomington 86 (15th). Central and southeast Illinois averages around a dozen 90+ degree high temperatures in a typical July.

The NWS also reports a record cold July in Rockford and a near-record in Chicago:

Rockford had the coldest July ever on record, running 2F colder than the previous coldest July on record.

In Chicago, July 2009 will go down as the 7th coldest July on record. However...in 1942 the official recording station was moved away from the lakefront. If we look at temperature data from 1942 to present...the July 2009 average temperature of 69.4 would rank second coldest. The coldest July on record since 1942 was 69.3 degrees set back in 1992.

Image (click to enlarge): July monthly maximum temperature by year in Peoria, from National Weather Service

Arctic Ice Melt Continues Near Record Rate in July

See here for other posts on Polar Climate.

The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) reported yesterday that the average rate of Arctic ice melt in July was nearly equal to that in the record-breaking year of 2007. Total ice extent for the month was the third lowest for the satellite record in July, following behind 2007 and 2006.

A strong area of high pressure over the western Arctic brought warm temperatures and clear skies to the region, helping to promote the melting process. (The same high pressure ridge brought record breaking high temperatures to much of the western U.S. from Arizona through Oregon and Washington and into Alaska.)

The NSIDC overview stated:

Sea ice extent averaged over the month of July 2009 was 8.81 million square kilometers (3.40 million square miles). This was 680,000 square kilometers (263,000 square miles) above the record low that occurred in July 2007, 250,000 square kilometers (97,000 square miles) below July 2008, and 1.29 million square kilometers (498,000 square miles) below the 1979 to 2000 average. Sea ice extent is unusually low in the Kara Sea, Baffin Bay, and along the Russian coast. The only area with significant above-average ice extent is southern Hudson Bay.

Image (click to enlarge): Arctic sea ice extent as of August 4 from NSIDC

Attention Duke Searcher! And Attention Other Climate Data Searchers

Attention user searching from duke.edu: Even though we seldom agree with anything published by the Pielkes, as a public service, here's the reference you've been searching for in Google several times today (most recently at 9:03 pm):
Nicola Scafetta Comments on “Solar Trends And Global Warming” by Benestad and Schmidt

Attention any other searchers for climate data and/or information:
Google is an excellent tool, and the Googling Monkeys here at the Climate Capitol have been using it since well before there was a CapitalClimate. However, sometimes it can be a little frustrating to click on a search result and not get what you're really looking for. If that's the case when you end up here, please ask your climate data question as a comment to this post, and we'll do our best to find you the answer, or point you to a possible source if we can't find it.

To kick things off, here's a question via Yahoo search from Kennewick, Washington:

"what is the all time record high temperature in wenatchee wa" 

Sorry you couldn't find the answer directly when you came to the site a little while ago, but here's some data from the National Weather Service based on the last 50 years (apparently the full period of official records there):

Highest Daily Maximum Temperature (degrees F)
Days: 1/1 - 12/31
Length of period: 1 day
Years: 1959-2009

Rank  Value  Ending Date
  1   109.0  8/4/1961
  2   108.0  7/27/1998
  3   107.0  8/1/2009, 7/23/2006, 7/22/1994, 7/19/1979, 8/3/1961
  8   106.0  7/26/1998, 7/18/1960
 10   105.0  7/28/1998  

Portland Extends All-Time Record Heat Wave Another Day

Image (click to enlarge): Portland, Oregon temperature, dewpoint, and relative humidity, for 24 hours ending 5 pm PDT, August 3, from National Weather Service

For previous record temperature posts, see:
Record Heat
Record Cold

Aug. 4 Update: The record streak was broken on Tuesday with a high of 85°.

9 pm PDT Update: The National Weather Service record report:

...NEW RECORD FOR CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH TEMPERATURES AT OR ABOVE 90   
DEGREES IN PORTLAND...  
  
THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT PORTLAND AIRPORT ON MONDAY WAS 91 DEGREES.   
THIS MARKS THE 10TH CONSECUTIVE DAY THAT PORTLANDS TEMPERATURE   
REACHED 90 DEGREES OR ABOVE. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD -   
INCIDENTALLY SET YESTERDAY - AND THE OLD RECORD WHICH WAS AN 8-DAY   
STREAK BETWEEN AUGUST 12-19 1967. 

Original post:
After expecting a possible break in the record streak of 90°+ days, Portland, Oregon reached a high of 90° at 5 pm, extending the new record to an unprecedented 10th day.

Here's the National Weather Service summary for the previous 9 days:

HIGH TEMPERATURES AT PORTLAND AIRPORT DURING THE PAST NINE DAYS...  
  
DAY/DATE              HIGH TEMPERATURE  
=======================================  
1. SAT JUL 25 2009           90  
2. SUN JUL 26 2009           93  
3. MON JUL 27 2009          103 *  
4. TUE JUL 28 2009          106 *  
5. WED JUL 29 2009          106 *  
6. THU JUL 30 2009           96  
7. FRI JUL 31 2009           94  
8. SAT AUG  1 2009           95 *  
9. SUN AUG  2 2009           94             
  
* DENOTES HIGH TEMPERATURE SET NEW RECORD FOR THE DATE.   

All-Time Monthly Heat Records Set in Arizona

For previous record temperature posts, see:
Record Heat
Record Cold

The National Weather Service reports that July 2009 was the hottest month ever recorded in Phoenix and Yuma, Arizona:

With July 2009 now over it will go down as not only the hottest July on record but the hottest month of all-time in both Phoenix and Yuma (as determined by average temperature, see tables below). The data below represent the top ten warmest Julys for Phoenix and Yuma by average high, mean, and low temperatures. Records for Phoenix began in 1896 and for Yuma in 1878.

Phoenix, AZ
Top 10 Hottest Julys
Rank  Average Max      Average         Average Min
      Temperature (°F) Temperature (°F) Temperature (°F)
1     109.8 1989       98.3 2009        87.1 2009
2     109.5 2009       97.6 2003        86.6 2003
3     109.5 2005       97.4 1989        86.4 2006
4     108.7 2003       97.2 2005        85.0 2005
5     108.3 1978       96.5 2006        85.0 1989
6     108.1 1979       96.1 1988        84.8 2007
7     107.6 1980       96.0 2002        84.8 2002
8     107.5 1988       95.8 2007        84.8 1988
9     107.5 1933       95.6 1980        84.8 1981
10    107.5 1931       95.5 1983        84.2 1996

Yuma, AZ
Top 10 Hottest Julys
Rank  Average Max      Average          Average Min
      Temperature (°F) Temperature (°F) Temperature (°F)
1     110.8 1957       97.5 2009        86.0 2006
2     110.4 1989       97.2 2006        85.0 2009
3     110.3 1942       96.7 1959        84.5 1996
4     110.2 1960       96.4 1996        83.9 1959
5     110.0 2009       96.3 1989        83.6 1998
6     109.7 1994       96.3 1957        83.3 2003
7     109.5 1878       96.0 1998        83.0 2005
8     109.4 1959       95.7 2005        83.0 2002
9     109.3 1951       95.7 1994        82.8 2007
10    109.2 1958       95.7 1960        82.8 1990  

Portland Breaks All-Time Heat Wave Record 90 Degrees Plus for 9th Consecutive Day

Images (click to enlarge): Temperature at 5 pm PDT, August 2, from Unisys; Portland, Oregon temperature, dewpoint, and relative humidity, July 23-Aug. 2, from National Weather Service

For previous record temperature posts, see:
Record Heat
Record Cold

By 4 pm PDT today, the temperature at Portland, Oregon had reached 91°. The high as of 5 pm was 93°, and at 6 pm, the reading had climbed again to 94°. This is the 9th consecutive day that Portland has reached or exceeded 90°, an all-time record. The previous record of 8 days was set August 12-19, 1967. The record streak is forecast to end tomorrow with a high of 85°. Yesterday's high was also a record for August 1:

PORTLAND BROKE THEIR DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR AUGUST 1 ON 
SATURDAY...WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 95 DEGREES. THE PREVIOUS HIGH 
TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR AUGUST 1 IN PORTLAND WAS 93 DEGREES...SET 
BACK IN 1986. 

Although the peak of the heat wave last week fell 1° short of the all-time record high, several records for daily average temperature were set. The month of July overall was also the second hottest month ever in Portland:

 WHILE PORTLAND FELL JUST SHY OF THE ALL-TIME HOTTEST MAXIMUM 
 TEMPERATURE ON RECORD OF 107 DEGREES JULY 28TH AND JULY 29TH...
 THEY DID EXPERIENCE THE HOTTEST TWO FULL CALENDAR DAYS ON RECORD. 
 THE DAILY AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ON THESE DAYS WERE WARMER THAN ANY 
 DAILY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE ON RECORD...DATING BACK TO 1926. THE DAILY 
 AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS THE MEAN OF THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM 
 TEMPERATURE FOR A PARTICULAR CALENDAR DAY. THE UNUSUALLY WARM NIGHTS 
 IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S HELPED PUT PORTLAND OVER THE TOP IN THIS 
 CATEGORY.
 
 THE NEW TOP 10 HOTTEST DAILY AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR PORTLAND ARE...
 
 1.    90 DEGREES - JUL 28 2009  .... NEW ....
 2.    89 DEGREES - JUL 29 2009  .... NEW ....
 3.    87 DEGREES - JUL 17 1941
 4(T). 86 DEGREES - JUL 27 2009  .... NEW ....
 4(T). 86 DEGREES - JUL 28 1998
 4(T). 86 DEGREES - JUL 27 1998
 4(T). 86 DEGREES - AUG  9 1981
 4(T). 86 DEGREES - AUG  8 1981
 4(T). 86 DEGREES - AUG 17 1977
 4(T). 86 DEGREES - JUL 16 1941
 
 (T) DENOTES A TIE
 
 SINCE THREE OF THE TOP FOUR HOTTEST AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURES WERE 
 SET DURING THE 2009 HEAT WAVE OF JULY 27-29...THIS EASILY MAKES IT 
 THE HOTTEST 3-DAY PERIOD IN PORTLAND HISTORY...DATING BACK TO 1926.
 
 THE NEW TOP 4 HOTTEST 3-DAY PERIODS IN PORTLAND HISTORY ARE...
 
 1.  88.0 DEGREES - JUL 27-29 2009
 2.  86.7 DEGREES - JUL 28-30 2009
 3.  85.7 DEGREES - JUL 15-17 1941
 4.  85.3 DEGREES - AUG  8-10 1981

 JULY 2009 GOES DOWN IN THE BOOKS AS THE SECOND HOTTEST MONTH ON 
 RECORD FOR PORTLAND...DATING BACK TO 1926. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 
 FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2009 WAS 73.6 DEGREES. THE EXISTING RECORD 
 HOTTEST JULY IS 74.1 DEGREES...SET BACK IN 1985...WHICH ALSO STANDS 
 AS THE HOTTEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR ANY MONTH ON RECORD FOR 
 PORTLAND. 
 
     HOTTEST MONTHS ON RECORD FOR PORTLAND
 =============================================
 1.  74.1 DEGREES - JULY 1985
 2.  73.6 DEGREES - JULY 2009    .... NEW ....
 3.  72.9 DEGREES - AUGUST 1967
 4.  72.3 DEGREES - AUGUST 1986
 5.  72.1 DEGREES - AUGUST 1981
 
 
 JULY 2009 ALSO TIES FOR THE FOURTH HOTTEST MONTH ON RECORD FOR 
 SALEM...DATING BACK TO 1892.
 
       HOTTEST MONTHS ON RECORD FOR SALEM
 =============================================
 1(T).  72.0 DEGREES - JULY 1941
 1(T).  72.0 DEGREES - JULY 1906
 3.     71.6 DEGREES - AUGUST 1967
 4(T).  71.2 DEGREES - JULY 2009   ... NEW ...
 4(T).  71.2 DEGREES - JULY 1958