You might not believe it with today’s weather, but the first seven months of 2001 have been cooler and wetter than average. State climatologist Harry Hillaker says the averages can be deceiving.A very cold February and March have kept the yearly average temperature down, and a wet May threw off the curve for moisture. Hillaker says today’s warm dry weather is indicative of the entire month of July. Hillaker says July temperatures will finish about a degree above the normal average.Normal is 74-point-five degrees. Hillaker says this July is only the second out of the last twelve that’s been warmer than normal, so we may’ve gotten used to cooler summer months. He says rainfall for July averaged just over three inches — about an inch below normal, but nothing unusual. Hillaker says with summer rains, timing is everything. Some areas of the state got the rain they needed for growing crops.Northcentral and parts of southern Iowa got above normal rainfall. Other areas, like central Iowa had below normal rainfall. Hillaker says August temperatures usually are about three degrees cooler than July — so relief could be ahead.
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