July 2017: Warm and Very Wet Conditions Across the First State

July Temperatures

Preliminary data indicates that the statewide average temperature in July was 78.4°F; this was 1.8°F above the 1981-2010 normal of 76.6°F (Figure 1). July 2017 was the 12th warmest July since statewide records began in 1895.

July Precipitation

Delaware’s statewide precipitation for July 2017 averaged 8.47 inches, 4.33 inches above the 1981-2010 mean of 4.14 inches (Figure 2). This was the highest statewide precipitation total since September 2016, and the 6th wettest July since 1895.

Statewide Spatial Averages

Data from the Delaware Environmental Observing System (DEOS) shows that temperatures varied significantly across the state depending upon location (Figure 3). Precipitation was above the long-term mean at all sites statewide, with the largest positive anomalies found in northern New Castle and western Sussex counties (Figure 4).