July 2019 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

July Severe Thunderstorms Often Dodge St. Cloud, But Still Slam Area at Times

July 2019 St. Cloud Weather Summary

The rainy days became a bit more rare than they had been earlier in the year, but plenty of rain fell on central Minnesota in July 2019. During the month, the St. Cloud Municipal Airport ended up with 5.32 inches, more than 2 inches over the 3.31 inch average. There were only 8 days with measurable rainfall in July, fewer than any month since March. However, there were 3 days with more than an inch of rain, including 1.79 inch on July 28, which broke the daily record rainfall. Those three days also were the only three days with at least half an inch. Adding in August 13, there have now been 22 days this year with at least half an inch of rain. One more day with at least half an inch of rain will push this total into one of St. Cloud's more frequent half inch days.

6th Wettest January-July in St. Cloud Records

The July rainfall brought the total for the first 7 months of the year to 23.69 inches, 7.90 inches above average. That's the 6th wettest first 7 months of the year in St. Cloud. 2014 was slightly higher with 23.78 inches. The actual St. Cloud rainfall for the May through July period was 16.34 inches, nearly 6 inches above the 10.40 inch average. This is the 11th highest May-July rainfall in St. Cloud records.

And still, most of the St. Cloud area and much of the region between St. Cloud and the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities missed a good chunk of the July rainfall. Most of southern Minnesota saw more than 10 inches of rain with higher amounts in Mankato and from Winona to the south of Rochester.

Severe Weather Hit Minnesota Often

There were large outbreaks of severe weather involved in the July thunderstorms, including a severe weather week from July 14 through 20 that included wind damage in the Brainerd Lakes on July 14, a pair of damaging wind swaths on July 19 and 20, and 4 tornadoes in parts of east central Minnesota on July 28. However, the St. Cloud area was most directly affected by the July 26 storms. While only parts of the St. Cloud area, southeastern Stearns and northeastern Wright into Sherburne Counties were affected, the swath of large hail produced major damage. While hail up to 4 inches in diameter occurred in Clear Lake, my southeast St. Cloud home saw only 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inch hail, but a 10-minute swath, 5 minutes of which had as many hail stones as rain drops.

Very Warm Mid-Month Only Produces Slightly Warmer than Average July

Mid-July did have a period of high temperatures of at least 85 degrees during 7 of the 8 days between July 12 and 19. This period also produced three 90-degree highs recorded in July. That only runs the number of 90-degree days this summer to 4 days, well short of last summer's 10 days by the end of July and 13 days overall. The hot middle of the month was interrupted with cooler weather, especially at the end of the month. The average July temperature at the St. Cloud Airport was 71.4 degrees, only 1.1 degrees warmer than average. This was again produced mainly by warmer than average low temperatures (60.8 degrees, 2.4 degrees warmer than average). The average July high of 82.1 degrees was 0.2 degrees cooler than average. St. Cloud went nearly a full month with lows no cooler than 55 degrees (between June 27 and July 22). There was only one low cooler than 50 degrees.

Minnesota in Contrast to Much of the Globe (Hottest July in 140 Years of Record in Global Average)

The hottest temperature in St. Cloud so far this summer was the 92-degree high on July 15. If that high holds up, it will mean that St. Cloud has only seen two days with a high of 97 degrees or higher since 2006. This is because the core of the Continental US heat has rarely approached Minnesota this summer, despite the extreme heat in Alaska, much of the Southwestern US, and parts of Europe. That has produced record warm global July temperatures, but still relatively cool or near average temperatures from the Canadian Rockies through Minnesota and into the Great Lakes. That's why you need to examine global temperatures to determine the global temperature trend.

    July 2019 Statistics