MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY

By Laura Edwards
California Climate Specialist, Western Regional Climate Center
June 2006

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June was warm and dry, or rather, hot and dry, in most locations. Stations across the state attained some daily record highs, with many over 100°. The average temperature statewide was 70.4, more than 3° above the long-term average. Precipitation was well below average at just 51% of normal. A large number of locations in the Central Coast and San Joaquin Drainage climate divisions received no rain at all for the month of June.

The first weekend started the month off warm. You could almost roast your campfire marshmallows in the open sun at Borrego Desert Park where it reached 111° on the 2nd. Several other high temperature records were set in the Southland on the 3rd, including Ramona Fire Station with 101° (old record 95) and El Cajon with 100° (96).

A week of less active weather followed, with some troughs bringing windy conditions to areas of the Kern county deserts, and scattered sprinkles in some areas of the southern San Joaquin valley and nearby deserts. On the 13-14th, measurable rain fell in many locations across the state, with a daily record made at Redding on the 13th with 0.24"(old record 0.14").

Soon after this system pushed through, high pressure built in and made stable atmospheric conditions beginning on the 17th and lasting through the end of the month. This paved the way for numerous locations to set new high temperature records statewide, and across the western U.S. Many stations had temperature readings in the 3-digit range, with Fresno reporting 12 consecutive days of temperatures over 100, and Bakersfield reporting 9 consecutive days of the same. Redding reached 115° on the 24th, setting the all-time record high for the month of June for that location. They then broke this record the following day, on the 25th, with the mercury reaching 117°. Other stations that broke more than one daily maximum temperature recorde during this period include Montague, Red Bluff, El Cajon, Lake Elsinore, and the San Diego Lindbergh airport. Several high minimum temperatures were at record levels on the 28-29th as well, including at Campo, Ramona and Riverside Citrus/UC-Riverside.

A last shot of rain fell in the Southland on the 28th, breaking the precipitation recorde at Palmdale with 0.15" and a record tie at Bob Hope airport with a Trace.



Page last updated 8/23/06.