July 2024 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

July Marginally Warm and Wet, But Prolongs Major Warm (15 Month), Wet (8 Month) Streaks

July 2024 St. Cloud, MN Weather Summary

Warm July Adds to 15 Month Streak

The St. Cloud Regional Airport had a 72.7 degree average temperature in July, 2.7 degrees above average, and the 38th warmest of the 144 Julys on record. While temperatures were consistently warm in July, the average high of 83.8 degrees was actually cooler (0.3 degrees) than last July, which produced 7 90-degree highs, running the total to 16 days. St. Cloud did have 4 days with a high of at least 90 degrees in July 2024, including the first one of the year on July 14. (A 5th 90-degree high was added on August 2). The warm July in 2024 was primarily fueled by persistent humidity, so low temperatures rarely fell below 60 degrees. The average July 2024 low was 61.6 degrees, the warmest July average low since 2012 and the 21st mildest July low temperature of the 144 Julys in St. Cloud records. This included a rare low above 70 degrees on July 27, which occurred during the hottest day of the year (93-degree high).

While July 2024 wasn't extreme in its warmth, it marked the 15th consecutive month of above average temperatures in St. Cloud, going back to May 2023. Of the months this year, June and July were the closest to average, less than 3 degrees above average. Only July 2023, averaging only 0.1 degree above average, ranked close to average. The last colder than average months were March and April 2023, mainly because the persistent deep snow cover from our record snow season hung around through the middle of April (see table below):

The entire 15-month period has produced an average temperature of 52.6 degrees, 5.8 degrees above average. Only May 2011 through July 2012 even approaches the warm readings of this year. The rest of the years on record are more than 2 degrees cooler than our current streak (see ranking below, as well as our 3rd warmest start to a year in 2024 through July).

Other Warm Temperature Rankings

• warmest winter (Dec 2023-Feb 2024)
• 8th warmest spring (Mar-May 2024)
• 4th warmest year (Jan-Dec 2023)
• 3rd warmest Jan-July (see above)

Despite this warm period, the really hot temperatures spent most of July in the western and southern US, rarely getting into Minnesota. Out of the 144 years on record, only 27 have experienced their first 90-degree high in July or later. Only three of these years have occurred since the turn of the century (2003, 2008, and 2014). 20 of those 27 years (see list below) had fewer than the 11.4 days with 90 degree highs for the season, including 2003, which ended up with 12 90-degree highs. The most 90-degree highs after a slow start were 25 (1901), 24 (1935), and 22 (1974; see complete list below):

no 90's through June (7 years ended up with above avg 90 degree days out of 27)

• 2014 2 total
• 2008 3 total
• 2003 12 total (7 in Aug, 3 in Sept.)
• 1993 1 total (none until Aug)
• 1982 7 total
• 1981 2 total
• 1957 6 total all in July
• 1951 5 total (4 in July)
• 1947 22 total (6 in July, 13 in Aug, 3 in Sept)
• 1945 9 total (3 in Sept)
• 1942 4 total
• 1935 24 total (15 in July, 8 in Aug)
• 1924 4 total
• 1919 3 total
• 1918 6 total
• 1917 9 total
• 1916 14 all in July
• 1915 0 total
• 1908 16 total (8 in July, 5 in Sept)
• 1906 14 total (7 in August, 4 in Sept)
• 1905 6 total
• 1904 2 total
• 1903 1 total
• 1902 1 total
• 1901 25 total (13 July, 9 Aug, 3 Sept)
• 1899 3 total
• 1896 5 total
• 2024 5 total through Aug. 4

Wet Streak of 8 Months Reverses of Last Year's Late Spring, Early Summer

The St. Cloud Regional Airport received 4.11 inches of rain in July 2024, 0.51 inch above average. That's because St. Cloud often missed out on the heaviest rainfall (note all of the dark red areas, meaning more than 6 inches of rain, surrounding St. Cloud on the Minnesota July Rainfall map; check precipitation estimates on the NWS Water Prediction Service Minnesota map and set the period for Month and July). Still, this wet July continued the above average precipitation streak that began last December. In fact, the 26.25 inches of precipitation over that 8 month period was 9.15 inches above average and the 3rd wettest December through July in St. Cloud records. This runs at the other extreme of the dry conditions which followed the end of the snow season in 2023. The May through July 2023 precipitation was the lowest on record, and more than an inch below the previous record. The wet weather certainly has broken the rainfall shortage of the past two warm seasons (see table below):

Other Wet Extremes

• 5th wettest winter (Dec 2023-Feb 2024)
• 6th wettest April

In July 2024, rainfall was frequent in St. Cloud (15 days with measurable rainfall), but heavy rainfall was much more rare ( only 3 days with at least a quarter inch, 1 day with above half an inch). However, more than half of the month's rain fell on July 13 ( 2.20 inches, setting a daily record. Of that 2.20 inches, 1.75 inches fell in just in 20 minutes. The heavy rain storm also produced wind damage and large hail, including hail of 3.5 inches in diameter in Monticello and 4 inch diameter hail in Big Lake. There was also severe weather on July 31, including some very large hail (5 inches in diameter near Chokio, which is near Morris). The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources climatology group discussed whether this hail is likely Minnesota largest on record.

     July 2024 Statistics

 Last Updated: August 6, 2024