INDIANAPOLIS — There's no question, summer is well underway across Central Indiana. We got a jump start on the heat in June when we put together an eight-day stretch of 90° heat. It was the first time Indy had done that since June 1994. It's a new month, but will it be a new weather pattern? Let's dive into the weather outlook for July.
THE EXTREMES
We know the seventh month of the year can be hot, hot, hot! July does, in fact, hold the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in Indianapolis. We've hit 106° three times in recorded history. The last time was in 1936. We came very close to that record again in 2012 with a high of 105°.
July is a very important month for rainfall across Central Indiana. Our average rainfall drops by more than one inch in August, as we enter a drier period in the fall. If rainfall falls short in July, it can be very difficult to climb out of that deficit heading into the later part of the growing season. Our wettest July brought more than a foot of rain in 2015. Just a few years before that, we had our driest July on record. In 2011, Indy didn't even get a half-inch of rain for the month.
RAINFALL OUTLOOK
The overall rainfall outlook for the month of July has its challenges. That's mainly because we can have localized downpours that don't impact a large area. Take the end of June, for example. Bloomington ended the month with nearly 10" of rainfall thanks to a couple of downpours on the 29th and 30th. Contrast that with Indy, which saw a little over 4" of rain for the month. That's actually a little below average.
When it comes to looking ahead, we rely on overall weather trends to give us a ballpark idea to work with. Right now, it seems south southeastern parts of the state stand the best chance of coming in with above-average rainfall in July. For much of the rest of Central Indiana, the trend is toward near-average rainfall.
Indy typically sees about 4.50" of rain in the month. Following a dry first few days of July, the forecast does become a bit more active with occasional chances for rain. The entire state should see near to slightly above average rainfall through the first half of the month, before things may get quiet again.
JULY HEAT
It seems like the hot summer preview we experienced in June is going to hold right through July. It isn't taking us long to put multiple days of 90° heat together. Following the holiday weekend, temperatures do take another turn toward more seasonable levels. Our average high holds steady the entire month at 85°.
However, temperatures don't look to stay down for long. The second half of the month favors a return of warmer than warmer-than-average numbers. In short, we're going to need plenty of ways to keep cool through the month.
LOSING DAYLIGHT
While temperatures look to be on the rise this month, one thing that is certain to fall is the number of daylight hours we enjoy. With the official start of summer, our day with the most daylight hours is in the rear view mirror. The change is gradual initially, but picks up steam by the end of the month. We lose about 40 minutes of daylight from the beginning to the end of July. By the time July 31st rolls around, our sunset falls back before 9 p.m.
