July was hot, very humid, and dry for much of Alabama. In fact, most of the state experienced 2-5°F above the normal dewpoint temperature — the technical measurement that indicates the amount water in the air. In other words, July was sweltering for most Alabamians.

Average daily high temperatures were 1.1°F above the long-term average of 91.1°F statewide — not much above normal for July. Most of July’s heat occurred at night due to the blanket of humid air which prevented normal nighttime cooling. This humid air trapped heat that would otherwise escape to space, keeping nighttime temperatures elevated. This heat can be expressed in the form of average daily low temperatures which were 3.2°F above the long-term average of 68.8°F. This ranked as the warmest July on record for average nighttime minimum temperatures in Alabama. These elevated night-time temperatures can significantly impact human comfort/health and energy costs.

The hottest single-day reading of 101°F was recorded at four different stations: Dothan Regional Airport (July 15th), Evergreen Middleton Field (July 29th), Vernon (July 30th), and Selma (July 30th). By contrast, the coldest location in Alabama was the Scottsboro 2NE station at 62°F on the 4th.

Unlike June, July was much drier than the long-term average, receiving only 2.95 inches of rainfall compared to the normal 5.44 inches — a deficit of 2.49 inches statewide. However, similar to June, the rainfall was sporadic in nature. The plot below, displayed as a percentage of normal precipitation in July, demonstrates this variability clearly, with some areas receiving above normal rainfall while others remained quite dry. Remarkably, despite the overall dry conditions, the wettest location of the month was the Gulf Shores 2.6NNE station with an impressive total of 11.43 inches of rainfall—more triple the statewide average. On the dry side of the spectrum, the Russellville No2 station recorded only 0.79 inches of rainfall, giving this station the title of driest location of the month with no missing days of observations.

After a relatively wetter-than-average June, Alabama entered July with near-normal moisture conditions across the state. Rainfall diminished quickly, however, and with rising summer temperatures, dry conditions soon set in. By the second week of the month, the U.S. Drought Monitor identified parts of Dale and Henry Counties as abnormally dry. Over the following two weeks, dryness spread across the tri-state area and within portions of Southwest and Northeast Alabama. By July 22, part of the tri-state region had worsened to moderate drought, and by the end of the month, nearly one-third of the state was classified as abnormally dry.

The wet start to the summer delayed many plantings and the drier conditions were generally welcomed by most farmers. However, the wet and warm conditions have increased disease risk for late season plantings across multiple crops, particularly cotton.

Seasonal Outlook

Looking ahead to fall (September, October, November), the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) forecasts a 33-40% chance of above-normal seasonal average temperatures across the entire state of Alabama. For precipitation, the CPC forecasts “Equal Chances” for the entire state of Alabama, meaning there is no clear tilt toward above-, near-, or below-normal precipitation. The following tables provides the 1991-2020 climate normals for Alabama and a few select cities, detailing average conditions for each fall month.

Monthly summaries are provided by Dr. Rob Junod, Lee Ellenburg and Dr. John Christy.

Figure 1. Data source: NCEP Stage IV Quantitative Precipitation Estimates	Figure 2. Data source: NCEP Stage IV Quantitative Precipitation Estimates