By John Simpson

June 2021 was the hottest June and calendar month on record at the Tucson Airport. That’s right, June 2021 was the hottest month since records began. The average high temperature was 104.6 degrees and the 30-year average is 101.2 degrees. The average low temperature for June was 75.0 degrees and was 3.9 degrees above average. The airport also had a record 8 consecutive days with highs 110 degrees or better. After last summer’s terrible heat and dryness, I was not wanting a repeat. Fortunately, the monsoon moisture moved in at the end of June this year and I recorded 0.35” of rain for June in central Del Lago, which is just below my 11-year average of 0.41.” Rainfall amounts for June in the Vail Readership area ranged from just a trace to around ¾ of an inch, with the Coyote Creek area being the winner. The Tucson airport recorded 0.17” of rain, which is just below its 30-year average of 0.23.” See rainlog.org for rainfall data throughout Arizona. Normally I do not write the climate report for a particular month until well after that month is over. Since the Vail Voice is published on the first of every month and articles are needed two weeks in advance, and monthly weather data is not available until a few days into the next month, my articles lag a month. For example, the July climate report will not be published until the September 1 Vail Voice issue. However, I want to end this August 1st issue with what July has brought us rainfall wise so far. At the time of this writing on July 19th, I have recorded over 4 inches of rain, which is my second wettest July since 2011 and there is still two weeks left in the month. Some parts of the Vail area, particularly just to my East, have received over 6 inches or rain. Needless to say, July has yielded good rainfall this year and I will fully report on this in next month’s issue.

John Simpson has lived in southern Arizona the past 33 years and Vail for 17 of those years. John has a bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of Missouri and a mster’s degree in Atmospheric Physics from the University of Arizona. He loves exploring the outdoors with his family and photographing weather and the beauty of southern Arizona.

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