Seattle sizzled last month like it never had before.
July 2015 was the hottest month ever recorded in Seattle, with an average temperature of 71.2 degrees—eclipsing the previous mark of 71.1 degrees, set back in August of 1967. The month featured an astonishing 10 days with high temperatures in the 90s—capped by a sweltering 95-degree reading on July 19. In over 120 years of weather records, Seattle had never seen more than 9 days with temperatures at or above 90 degrees in a single year, let alone a single month.
No doubt, July marched to the beat of a vastly different drum—one that led it straight into the record books.
The heat arrived fast and furious, with temperatures the first five days of the month soaring into the 90s—tying the city’s all-time mark for consecutive 90-degree days (originally set July 14-18, 1941, and later matched Aug. 7-11, 1981).
After wildfire smoke from British Columbia held the mercury in the mid 80s on the 6th, the strong ridge of high pressure responsible for the heat gradually moved east, allowing marine air to trickle into Puget Sound a few days later. Cloudy skies hung over the city on the 10th and 11th as highs sank into the low 70s—the first below-average readings in Seattle since mid-June.
A gradual warm-up followed, with maximum temperatures hovering around the 80-degree mark mid-month. Then—surprise—things got hot in a hurry again, with the mercury soaring to 92 degrees on the 18th, and 95 a day later. The 95-degree reading matched the all-time July 19 high from 1988, making it the fifth time of the month a record high temperature had been tied or surpassed.
But wait, there’s more. Daily record high number six etched its way into the books yesterday as the temperature vaulted to 94—breaking the previous mark of 93 degrees from 1965. That came after also hitting 94 degrees on the 30th, and 90 the day before that.
The month’s one saving grace? We successfully dodged the triple digits, leaving the record for warmest day ever to another July.
When it comes to hottest month, though, July 2015 is now a resounding second to none.
In August of 1967 your dad and I were in Alaska. So I remember fist-sized mosquitos more than I do the Seattle weather.
You sure picked a good month to be gone–kind of. The tradeoff doesn’t sound much better.