ROANOKE, Va. – While the Roanoke Valley saw a record stretch of 90° heat in July, the planet as a whole was closing in on record heat for the month too.
Across the Globe
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According to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, July 2020 was the second-hottest (July 2019 was the hottest) across the globe and was the hottest on record for the Northern Hemisphere.
The earth’s average temperature was 1.66°F above the 20th-century average, making July the 427th straight month of above-average global temperatures.
Year-to-date, this has also been the second-hottest year on record across the globe. At this point, 2016 was just 0.07°F hotter.
According to the same report, cooler-than-average temperatures were confined to small portions of, “North America, Scandinavia, eastern China, southern South America, as well as the northern Atlantic Ocean and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.”
Closer to Home
On a national level, there were a handful of states that had their warmest July and month on record. Those states include New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. July fell within the top-10 hottest for 14 other states, with cooler-than-average temperatures observed in parts of the Plains and Rockies.
Year-to-date, Florida is having its warmest year on record. States like Massachusetts, Rhode Island Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia have seen their second-hottest year-to-date (January to July) on record.
For Roanoke, July 2020 was the hottest July on record. It was also exceptionally hot in places like Lynchburg and the New River Valley. Records for our area have been kept since the late 1800s and early 1900s.
What’s Next
The Climate Prediction Center’s current 6-10 day temperature outlook shows heat building across the western U.S. At the same time, a dip in the jet stream means cooler-than-average weather in parts of the eastern U.S.
For us here at home, that means that much of next week’s afternoon temperatures will be in the 70s and lower 80s.
For the updated forecast, check back here and/or download Your Local Weather Authority app.