July was cooler than normal in Iowa

Our air conditioners and fans may soon get a break. The state climatologist says Iowa should see gradually cooler weather for the rest of the year. Harry Hillaker says July, usually the hottest month, ended up about two degrees cooler than normal statewide and August should be cooler still. He says Iowa got a lot of rain, for a state that was facing a severe drought threat.The state overall was just slightly below normal for rainfall. While many parts of the state became waterlogged and flooded by heavy rain during recent weeks, Hillaker says some areas of the state are still being plagued by dry conditions.Hillaker says this marks the first time in more than 40 years that many parts of the state didn’t even see 90-degrees once during July. In late May, the southwestern Iowa town of Glenwood recorded 100-degrees, the only time we’ve seen triple-digits anywhere in the state this year — and Hillaker says it may be the only time this year, too.