1
Arizona Climate Summary August 2016
Summary of conditions for July 2016
July 2016 Temperature and Precipitation Summary July 1
st – 15
th: As June ended and July began, a shortwave moved through the southwest bringing much needed rainfall
to the state as the monsoon activity began in earnest. July 1st and 2
nd were wet across much of the state as the high
pressure over Texas brought moisture and the shortwave triggered storm development. Rainfall totals on the 1st and 2
nd
included 1.41” at Williams, 0.55” at Show Low, 0.82” at Prescott, 0.46” at Petrified Forest, 0.48” at Navajo National
Monument, 1.05” at Douglas, 0.41” at Canyon de Chelly, 1.11” at Bisbee, 0.60” at Bellemont, 0.36” at Window Rock,
0.83” at Tucson, 0.88” at Safford, 0.03” at Scottsdale, 0.15” at Page, 0.87” at Kingman, 0.02” at Deer Valley Airport,
0.30” at the Grand Canyon, 1.04” at Davis Monthan AFB, and 0.75” at Bisbee-Douglas Airport. By July 4, the high
pressure moved eastward and storm activity was mainly across the southeastern, especially Elgin, Bisbee, Douglas and
Nogales. Daily rainfall was very light through the 8th of July. By the 9
th, the high pressure moved over the state cutting
off the moisture, and the state remained dry through the 15th. During this eleven day period temperatures rose above
110oF in the warmest southwest desert locations, and daytime temperatures hit 80
oF in the coldest locations. The only
rain reported was 0.35” at Coronado National Monument on the 13th-14
th.
July 16th
– 31st: By the 16
th, the high started to retreat eastward, allowing southerly winds to bring the moisture back
into the state. The southerly winds were enhanced by a low pressure system in the northwest. Moderate to heavy
rainfall was reported across the state from the 18th through the 21
st. Totals included 1.04” at Navajo National
Monument, 1.08” at Canyon de Chelly, 0.98” at Bellemont, 1.59” at Nogales, and 2.66” at Bisbee-Douglas Airport.
Lighter showers continued each day across the southeast, northern Arizona and the Mogollon Rim. The big loser in the
rainfall column was the southwestern quarter of the state, and the lower elevations in central Arizona. Temperatures
remained above 110oF in the lower deserts and highs were in the upper 80s and lower 90s at the higher elevations until
the 31st when widespread storm activity cooled things down. The last 4 days of July brought strong storms as a surge of
very moisture air pushed into the state. Dew points were in the 60s and low 70s. On the 28th Nogales Airport reported
3.43” of rain. On the 29th, Navajo National Monument reported 0.58”, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument had 0.95”
on the 30th
, and Elgin had 1.22” on the 31st. From the 29
th through August 1
st, Payson received 2.22”. From the 28
th
through August 1st Tucson received 2.19”. The July precipitation maps on pages 10 and 11 show how much rain was
reported and the percentage of the average rainfall that represented. The southwest quarter of the state and central
Navajo and northern Apache counties are still looking for some monsoon activity.
In This Issue: Overview of July, graphs of the July daily maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, mean
daily dew points for Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson; July climate statistics, maps of mean monthly maximum and
minimum temperatures, precipitation, dew points, wind speeds for July; and graphs of the mean July temperature and
precipitation for the period of record for Tucson, Phoenix, and Flagstaff, graphs of the cumulative precipitation for the
calendar year for Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson. Climate calendars for Flagstaff, Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott, Winslow
and Yuma, including daily and monthly normals and extremes, for each month of the year, can be downloaded directly
from the State Climate website. See p.19 of this report for calendar abbreviations.
Data are preliminary and are from the National Weather Service Forecast Offices in Flagstaff, Phoenix and Tucson.
**Note: The discrepancy between the Statewide Temperature and Precipitation values for Phoenix, Flagstaff and
Tucson and the daily values in their graphs are due to the reporting times. Statewide Temperature and Precipitation
values are taken at 5pm, while official daily records at the airports are taken from Midnight to Midnight. Dr. Nancy J. Selover, State Climatologist
http://azclimate.asu.edu 480-965-6265
Edited by Nancy J. Selover
© 2016 Arizona State Climate Office
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July 2016 Daily Temperature, Precipitation, & Dew Point for Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson
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4
FLAGSTAFF CLIMATE STATISTICS
July 2016
This July had no significant ranking for temperature
or precipitation.
Avg Max Temp (F) 82.5 Normal 81.2
Avg Min Temp (F) 51.1 Normal 50.9
Avg Mean Temp (F) 66.8 Normal 66.1
Departure from Normal (F) +0.7
Highest Monthly Avg Temp (F) 70.0 in 2002
Lowest Monthly Avg Temp (F) 61.1 in 1912
Highest Temp this month (F): 90 on 27th
Lowest Temp this month (F): 41 on 12th
Record High (F): 97 on 7/5/1973
Record Low (F): 32 on 7/5/, 7/7 & 7/8/1955
No Temperature or precipitation records this month:
Flagstaff Number of Days of:
Minimum Temp 55oF or higher 4
Minimum Temp 49oF or lower 10
Maximum Temp 85oF or higher 10
Maximum Temp 80oF or lower 10
Heating Degree Days 10 Normal 32
Cooling Degree Days 72 Normal 64
Degree base 65oF
Total July Precipitation 2.59”
Normal July Precipitation 2.61”
Departure from normal -0.02”
Greatest 24-Hr Precipitation 0.70” on 7/30-31
Total Precipitation Year-to-Date 10.85”
Departure from Normal -0.23”
Number of Days:
Clear 22
Partly Cloudy 9
Cloudy 0
Greatest July Precipitation 7.58” in 1919
Least July Precipitation 0.00” in 1993
Average Wind Speed 6.7 mph
Highest Peak Gust 46 mph from 220o on 10
th
PHOENIX CLIMATE STATISTICS
July 2015
This July was the 5th warmest July on record, and
had no significant precipitation ranking.
Avg Max Temp(F) 108.3 Normal 106.1
Avg Min Temp(F) 86.0 Normal 83.5
Avg Mean Temp (F) 97.1 Normal 94.8
Departure from Normal (F) +2.3
Highest Monthly Avg Temp (F) 98.3 in 2009
Lowest Monthly Avg Temp (F) 85.4 in 1912
Highest Temp this month (F) 112 on 22nd
, 27th, 29
th
Lowest Temp this month (F): 77 on 29th
Record High (F): 121 on 7/28/1995
Record Low (F): 63 on 7/04-05/1912
Temperature and precipitation records this month:
9th
HiMax 98 tied, first set in 1992
26th
HiMin 91 set, previous record 89 in 2000
Phoenix Number of Days of:
Minimum Temp 80oF or lower 3
Minimum Temp 90oF or higher 7
Maximum Temp 100oF or lower 1
Maximum Temp 110oF or higher 15
Heating Degree Days 0 Normal 0
Cooling Degree Days 1006 Normal 924
Degree base 65oF
Total July Precipitation 0.89”
Normal July Precipitation 1.05”
Departure from normal -0.16”
Greatest 24-Hr Precipitation 0.53 on 29th
Total Precipitation Year-to-Date 2.77”
Departure from Normal -1.51”
Greatest July Precipitation 6.47” in 1911
Least July Precipitation 0.00” in 1993, 1995
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Number of Days:
Clear 14
Partly Cloudy 17
Cloudy 0
Average Wind Speed 8.0 mph
Highest Peak Gust 70 mph from 70o on 29
th
TUCSON CLIMATE STATISTICS
July 2016
This July was the 3rd
warmest and had no
significant ranking for precipitation.
Avg Max Temp(F) 102.5 Normal 99.7
Avg Min Temp(F) 78.0 Normal 74.4
Avg Mean Temp(F) 90.3 Normal 87.0
Departure from Normal (F) +3.3
Highest Monthly Avg Temp (F) 90.6 in 2005
Lowest Monthly Avg Temp (F) 81.6 in 1912
Highest Temp this month (F): 107 on 21st
Lowest Temp this month (F): 69 on 31st
Record High (F): 114 on 7/4/1989 & 7/28/1995
Record Low (F): 49 on 7/3/1911
Temperature and precipitation records this month:
1st Precip 0.83” set, previous record 0.71” in 1898
24th HiMin 82 set, previous record 81 in 1996
Tucson Number of Days of:
Minimum Temp 70oF or lower 2
Minimum Temp 80oF or higher 12
Maximum Temp 100oF or lower 7
Maximum Temp 105oF or higher 15
Heating Degree Days 0 Normal 0
Cooling Degree Days 793 Normal 683
Degree base 65oF
Total July Precipitation 3.32”
Normal July Precipitation 2.25”
Departure from normal +1.07”
Greatest 24-Hr Precipitation 0.86” on 29th
Total Precipitation Year-to-Date 7.44”
Departure from Normal +1.92”
Greatest July Precipitation 6.24” in 1921
Least July Precipitation 0.04” in 1995
Number of Days:
Clear 23
Partly Cloudy 1
Cloudy 0
Average Wind Speed 7.5 mph
Highest Peak Gust 54 mph from 130o on 29
th
Data are from the National Weather Service and the
National Climatic Data Center and are preliminary.
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Wind Speeds for July:
Day Phoenix Flagstaff Tucson
(mph) Avg Max Avg Max Avg Max
1 10.4 24 6.6 28 6.9 26
2 10 31 7.9 33 5 18
3 6.7 24 6.7 28 5.1 16
4 8.3 24 8.1 29 5.6 18
5 6.5 24 8.8 35 6.8 19
6 8.4 27 12.2 35 9.3 31
7 7.6 23 7.9 35 8.1 23
8 6.4 22 8 30 5.8 19
9 7.6 23 8.1 30 5.4 24
10 8.3 30 13.6 46 6.7 25
11 7.2 29 10.8 39 7.8 28
12 7.9 24 8.2 32 7.3 21
13 5.8 19 7.9 32 7.6 28
14 6.7 26 7.1 29 8.4 26
15 7.9 26 7.8 29 7.5 31
16 7.2 22 10.2 40 10.3 34
17 8.3 30 8.9 35 10.5 37
18 6.2 63 5 23 8.8 26
19 6.9 24 3.3 20 7.7 32
20 6.8 30 2.4 25 5.5 28
21 4.9 19 2.4 20 7.8 24
22 8.8 45 4.9 22 7.9 52
23 10.9 25 4.4 28 9.3 25
24 9.9 27 5.4 27 10.2 32
25 8.4 27 3.9 25 8.4 31
26 6.7 26 2.5 18 7.4 51
27 9.8 30 2.8 22 8.5 51
28 7.3 24 5.4 33 6.3 27
29 11.9 70 6.4 35 8.1 54
30 8.5 24 6.8 23 6.1 38
31 11.3 36 4.4 18 6.1 48
Dew Points for July:
Daily Average Dew Point (oF):
Day Phx Tuc Flg
1 61 64 54
2 58 61 49
3 53 57 46
4 48 53 43
5 47 55 39
6 51 55 39
7 44 56 40
8 46 51 36
9 47 50 31
10 41 46 30
11 35 46 22
12 39 50 29
13 45 54 32
14 49 53 31
15 49 53 36
16 52 55 39
17 59 58 46
18 61 61 50
19 63 61 52
20 58 58 52
21 56 56 53
22 56 56 49
23 56 57 48
24 59 56 49
25 57 58 52
26 60 61 49
27 59 63 49
28 59 62 42
29 63 64 47
30 64 67 51
31 64 63 55
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The
8
The minimum temperatures ranged from 32oF at Flagstaff, Grand Canyon and Colorado City to 80
oF at Yuma. The lowest maximum temperature of 76
oF was
recorded at Snowslide Canyon, while the highest maximum temperature was 121oF at Beaver Dam and Havasu. The highest rainfall amounts were 5.49” at
Paradise and 5.41” at Nogales Airport. The lowest average dew point was 38oF at Colorado City and Page and the highest was 67
oF at Parker. The highest
peak wind gust was 70 mph at Phoenix. Average wind speeds ranged from 3 mph Tucson and Payson to 14 mph at Kingman Airport.
9
T
July 2016
The highest average minimum temperature was 87oF at Phoenix and Glendale Airports, and the lowest average minimum temperature was 44
oF at Sunrise
Mtn. and Beaver Head. The highest average maximum temperature was 120oF at Bullhead City and lowest average maximum temperature was 70
oF at
Snowslide Canyon.
10
11
July
July minimum temperatures were 0 to 4oF warmer than average across the state, with the warmest conditions in the southern third of the state. There were cool
pockets around Payson, central Navajo, northern Apache, northern Cochise and southern Graham counties. Daytime temperatures were also 0 to 4oF warmer
than average across the state. Much of the state received less than 70% of normal precipitation, with much drier conditions in the southwest corner and central
Apache County. The Payson and Flagstaff areas, northern Coconino and Navajo counties and the southeast corner have received over 100% of normal
precipitation.
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13
Calendar Year 2016
Calendar year minimum temperatures are still within 2oF of average, with the cooler temperatures in eastern Arizona. Daytime temperatures have generally
been 1 to 3oF warmer than average statewide, with slightly warmer conditions in western Arizona. Precipitation is below 70% of normal across northeastern
and southwestern Arizona. Northern Mohave, eastern Pima and western Cochise counties are wetter than average so far this year.
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15
2016 Water Year
The Water Year minimum temperatures remain within 2oF of normal across most of the state with the exception of very cool conditions in western Pima
County. Daytime temperatures are now 1 to 2oF warmer than normal, with slightly cooler areas in western Pinal and southern Navajo counties. Precipitation
continues to be above normal in eastern Coconino, eastern Pima, eastern Pinal and northern Mohave counties. Western Pinal and much of Maricopa and
eastern Cochise counties are still below 70% of normal as the monsoon has yet to become active in southwestern Arizona..
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July Mean Temperature Graphs – Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson 1895-2016:
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July Mean Precipitation Graphs – Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson 1895-2016
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2016 Cumulative Precipitation Graphs – Flagstaff, Phoenix and Tucson:
Flagstaff is 0.23” below normal, Tucson is 1.92” above normal, and Phoenix is 1.51” below normal.
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The downloadable normals and extremes calendars use the following abbreviations:
NORM = 30 year (1971-2000) average value (degrees Fahrenheit (F))
OBS = The temperature observation for that day this year
AVG = Average daily temperature
HI MAX = Highest maximum temperature for that day (F)
LO MAX = Lowest maximum temperature for that day (F)
LO MIN = Lowest minimum temperature for that day (F)
HI MIN = Highest minimum temperature for that day (F)
Mx PCP = Maximum precipitation for that day (inches)
Mx SNO = Maximum snowfall for that day (inches)