July’s climate in 2023 was largely in line with typical patterns for the state of Alabama. Statewide, the average temperature was slightly above normal by 1.4°F and rainfall was slightly wetter than normal by 0.98 inches, a much-needed relief after a drier June.

While the statewide average temperature was only 1.4°F above the 20th-century average, the average high temperature for the month was 91.1°F, matching the 20th-century average. The overall warmth was largely driven by the average low temperatures, which were 2.6°F warmer than normal. This above-average nighttime warmth can be partly attributed to increased cloudiness, as shown in Figure 1, which represents the outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) anomaly. The OLR anomaly was lower than normal (green shading) for July, indicating increased cloud cover throughout the month. Although cloudiness generally suppressed daytime high temperatures, a persistent atmospheric ridge over the region during the middle of July resulted in little to no precipitation, allowing many stations to record the hottest temperatures of the month. Notably, stations in Vernon and Oakman reached the highest temperature of the month at 103°F. In contrast, Valley Head and the Liri RAWS station in DeSoto State Park recorded the coldest temperature of the month at 59°F on the 11th due in part to the drier air from the atmospheric ridge and given these stations at a higher elevation.

As mentioned earlier, July was wetter than normal statewide, which was welcomed since most of the state began the month in drought. However, the first half of July was relatively dry, contributing to worsening drought conditions. By mid-July, areas in the north and northwestern parts of the state were in D-3 ( Extreme Drought) as defined by the US Drought Monitor, with over 40% of the state in at least D1  (Moderate Drought). Drought conditions only began to improve in the second half of the month, when the majority of the precipitation occurred due to a shift in the atmospheric ridge. By the end of July, most stations in Alabama had recorded above-normal rainfall, including the Mobile 5.0 WNW station, which observed the highest total at 16.8 inches. In contrast, southeastern Alabama did not receive as much rainfall as other areas, with the Montgomery Airport recording the driest total of the month at 2.76 inches, with no missing observations.

Looking ahead to fall (September, October, November), the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) forecasts a 40-50% chance of above-normal seasonal average temperatures across the entire state of Alabama. Precipitation is forecasted to have equal chances of being below normal, normal, or above normal statewide. The following tables provide the normals for Alabama and its four major metropolitan areas, relative to the reference period of 1991-2020, for each fall month.

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

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