ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The eastern two-thirds of the nation was cooler than average and much of the eastern and southern United States was wetter than average in June, according to scientists at the NOAA Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.
Overall, the contiguous United States had its sixth coolest and seventh wettest June since national records began in 1895.
Average temps. The global average temperature was third warmest on record.
Scientists report that the average temperature for the contiguous United States in June (based on preliminary data) was 66.8 degrees F (19.3 degrees C), which was 2.5 degrees F (1.4 degrees C) below the 1895-2003 mean.
Four states (Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia and Pennsylvania) had their coolest June and five states (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Florida) their second coolest June since records began in 1895.
Warmer. Conversely, significantly warmer-than-average temperatures occurred in Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
The unusual warmth in the West and the cooler-than-average temperatures elsewhere were largely due to a dominant high pressure area over the western United States and a June jet stream pattern that persistently pushed unusually far south through southern and eastern regions of the nation.
This pattern also contributed to record and near-record monthly rainfall totals in parts of the East and extremely dry conditions in the Pacific Northwest.
