Back in June 2015, only six years ago, we had a local June high temperature record set at 105˚F. Well, with the onset of a high-pressure system, or heat dome, that sat over us in late June, a new record was established. Fact is, it occurred twice – June 28th and 29th. The high temperature record for June is now 112˚F, just one degree off the official all-time high temperature for our area set 82 years ago, in July 1939 at 113˚F.

What caused the heatwave in late June that has intensified the drought we are currently in? Here’s a simplified description: A high-pressure system moved slowly off the Pacific Ocean generally from west to east. When high pressure occurs, the atmosphere sitting below that “dome” of higher pressure is squeezed or compacted more than normal. It pushes out cooler air and clouds that are under the dome.

Furthermore, because the atmosphere is composed of gases, those gases, when put under additional pressure, will heat up as well. When the ambient air temperature is already warm due to summer season, and ground surfaces are already hot, the addition of atmospheric high pressure creates additional heat. This allows the sun to further heat those surfaces with little cool down provided.

These high-pressure events do not bode well when wildfire is introduced. To our north in British Columbia, Canada, the small town of Lytton, a six-hour drive from here, was also experiencing drought and high temperatures. A wind-driven wildfire started outside of the community, engulfing it, burning a large portion of it to the ground June 30th. The town had just experienced the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada, 121˚F (49.6˚C). Wildfire intensity has been increasing exponentially over the past decades. Do you recall the fire that wiped out the town of Paradise, California in 2018?

During this time of drought we read, hear of see messages about burn bans, fire, and fireworks restrictions. They ought to be taken seriously. Your home, family, you, and your town are at risk.

Climate scientists have seen an increase in these intense heatwave events over past decades. Exacerbating the situation is the ever-increasing addition of gases, what are known as greenhouse gases that humanity is adding to the global atmosphere all the time. These greenhouse gases, especially CO2, or carbon dioxide, were addressed well over a century ago in 1896. Svante Arrhenius, Swedish physicist, carried out research that was the first to quantify the contribution of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and what scientists refer to as the Greenhouse Effect.

My home weather station, located 3.5 miles from the official National Weather Service recording site for our area, provided these data sets for the month of June 2021. High temperature was 113.8˚F on the 29th. The low temperature was 42.9˚F on the 6th with a mean of 74.3˚F. The new, all time-high for our region is now 112˚F, June 2021. The all-time low for June was 36˚F in 2008 and the all-time mean is 65.6˚F. I measured 0.49 inches of precipitation for June, all from one event on June 15th. The wettest June was recorded at 4.29 inches in 1937. The all-time mean is 1.02 inches.

The probability for above-normal temperatures for the next 30 days is high. Precipitation probability is low, according to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center. They do state that these longer-range outlooks are experimental.

The accompanying charts should be of interest. One addresses summer months with days greater than 100˚F listed by decade to current. The other chart is this year’s monthly precipitation, as measured at my weather station, compared to monthly all-time mean, low and high.

Thanks to EarthSky.org, here are the planets visible during July: Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus and Mercury are all visible. “The brightest planet Venus and red planet Mars remain fixtures of the early evening sky throughout July 2021. Your best bet is to spot dazzling Venus first, and then seek out fainter Mars. You’ll likely find Venus blazing away in your western sky some 40 to 45 minutes (or sooner) after sunset. Mars won’t pop out in the vicinity of Venus until dusk gives way to nightfall. You can see the giant planet Jupiter and ringed planet Saturn from mid-evening until dawn. Your best chance of catching Mercury — the innermost planet, often called the most elusive planet — is in the first half of July.”