June brings back above-normal temperatures

After a brief respite of cooler-than-normal weather in May, June returned to this year's pattern of above-normal temperatures with average highs breaking the 80-degree barrier and average lows nearing the 60-degree mark. 
Overall, temperatures were nearly 3 degrees above normal with one particular stretch of four days where the mercury breached 90 degrees, rising as high as 95 on a couple of them. 
Humidity was also a factor during several of those days with dew points rising into the 70s, producing nasty heat indexes making any strenuous outdoor activity dangerous.
Precipitation continued the trend of just below to near normal with over 3 1/2 inches of rain for the month. 
Adding to the beneficial rainfall was the fact that the moderate to heavy rains fell, for the most part, evenly throughout the month with no official reports of severe weather. 
We are still below normal for total precipitation this year, but just slightly below with the latest drought monitor showing normal conditions for our area and the nearest "abnormally dry conditions" still nearly 100 miles away near Sioux City and in northeast portions of South Dakota.
July usually brings our warmest temperatures of the year with average highs solidly in the 80s and overnight lows averaging above 60.  July marks the official start of a decreasing trend in total monthly precipitation, but still averages over 3 inches for the month.
 
A blog of daily summary and other interesting weather events for the Luverne area is at http://luvernemnweather.blogspot.com. Thone can be reached at tathone@gmail.com.