NOAA’s July update is out, and the first thing I checked was the statewide average precipitation. We got a lot of rain in July of 2023. The statewide average was 8.61 inches, more than double the 100-year average. But it did not set a record.
New Hampshire got 10.61 inches of rain in July 2015 and 10.58 inches in 2021. And yes, your local total might be higher or lower. Some parts got more, others less. And while it was a lot, it wasn’t unprecedented or historically exceptional. Half the years in the past two decades have been below the mean, the other half above. It’s almost as if there’s some natural cycle to it all, eh?
Rain happens in July, and so does drought, but July in the Granite State has been wetter in more recent years than not.
The other story that dominated the media was the heat. We were boiling in July. It was hot. Summer is like that sometimes. The hottest time of the year, actually. The 100-year average temperature for New Hampshire in July is 66.9 Deg F. July 2023 was 70.4 F. It was hotter in 1921, 1955, 2013, and 2020.
Maximum temps in the Granite State were less impressive. While above the 100-year mean of 78.8 – July 2023, 80.2 – 26 previous Julys had higher maximum temperature averages than 2023.
July was wet but not the wettest and hot but not the hottest.
