Climate Highlight
June 24, 2003
Since June of 2003 has been abnormally wet, the Pennsylvania State Climate Office thought it would be interesting to investigate what happened in July and August after other years with abnormally wet Junes. We hope may be able to recognize a climatologic pattern if the results of this investigation show that the Julys and Augusts for abnormally wet years are similar. If a pattern is apparent we may then be able to predict what the July and August 2003 will be like.
I found the ten wettest June's on record in three areas in Pennsylvania because the state has large climatologic variability. These locations are Climate Division 3 (Philadelphia area), Climate Division 7 (State College area and north), and Climate Division 9 (Pittsburgh area).
The results for the ten wettest Junes since 1897 are:
Climate Division 3
| Rank (Wettest) | Year | June Precipitation |
| 1 | 1972 | 10.43 |
| 2 | 1975 | 8.15 |
| 3 | 1982 | 8.00 |
| 4 | 1938 | 7.88 |
| 5 | 1903 | 7.51 |
| 6 | 1946 | 7.17 |
| 7 | 1928 | 7.14 |
| 8 | 1902 | 6.34 |
| 9 | 1989 | 6.17 |
| 10 | 1973 | 6.11 |
| Average | 7.49 | |
| Normal | 3.96 |
Climate Division 7
| Rank (Wettest) | Year | June Precipitation |
| 1 | 1972 | 12.93 |
| 2 | 1989 | 7.70 |
| 3 | 1928 | 7.03 |
| 4 | 1981 | 6.59 |
| 5 | 1976 | 6.53 |
| 6 | 1984 | 6.51 |
| 7 | 1946 | 6.50 |
| 8 | 1975 | 6.47 |
| 9 | 1982 | 6.42 |
| 10 | 1995 | 6.25 |
| Average | 7.29 | |
| Normal | 4.85 |
Climate Division 9
| Rank (Wettest) | Year | June Precipitation |
| 1 | 1972 | 9.79 |
| 2 | 1939 | 7.39 |
| 3 | 1951 | 7.33 |
| 4 | 1989 | 7.24 |
| 5 | 1928 | 7.22 |
| 6 | 1941 | 6.74 |
| 7 | 1981 | 6.63 |
| 8 | 1948 | 6.32 |
| 9 | 1916 | 6.17 |
| 10 | 1946 | 6.15 |
| Average | 7.10 | |
| Normal | 4.32 |
Using the years of the 10 wettest Junes, the temperature and precipitation for the following July and August are:
Climate Division 3
| June Rank | Year | July Precipitation | July Temperature | August Precipitation | August Temperature |
| 1 | 1972 | 3.21 | 74.8 | 1.77 | 72.6 |
| 2 | 1975 | 8.51 | 74.4 | 2.45 | 74.1 |
| 3 | 1982 | 2.95 | 74.3 | 2.72 | 69.5 |
| 4 | 1938 | 7.63 | 75.7 | 3.82 | 76.1 |
| 5 | 1903 | 5.65 | 74.2 | 6.53 | 69.0 |
| 6 | 1946 | 5.03 | 74.2 | 4.45 | 69.1 |
| 7 | 1928 | 5.89 | 74.8 | 6.11 | 75.3 |
| 8 | 1902 | 4.85 | 74.0 | 3.15 | 70.4 |
| 9 | 1989 | 7.70 | 73.7 | 2.36 | 72.0 |
| 10 | 1973 | 2.63 | 75.5 | 3.41 | 75.3 |
| Average | 5.41 | 74.6 | 3.68 | 72.3 | |
| Normal | 4.50 | 74.9 | 3.82 | 72.9 |
Climate Division 7
| June Rank | Year | July Precipitation | July Temperature | August Precipitation | August Temperature |
| 1 | 1972 | 4.21 | 69.1 | 1.70 | 66.1 |
| 2 | 1989 | 3.52 | 70.0 | 1.47 | 66.7 |
| 3 | 1928 | 4.75 | 70.2 | 3.56 | 71.1 |
| 4 | 1981 | 5.84 | 68.9 | 1.90 | 66.5 |
| 5 | 1976 | 4.28 | 65.8 | 3.92 | 64.4 |
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