NATIONAL STORM SUMMARY

JULY 2026

July 28-July 4: Significant precipitation continued from the northern Rockies into the upper Midwest and portions of the Great Lakes region, but rainfall coverage and intensity decreased across the remainder of the central and eastern U.S. Weekly precipitation totaled as much as 2 to 4 inches in western Montana and neighboring areas, while totals exceeding 4 inches were noted in parts of the upper Midwest. Locally severe thunderstorms accompanying the rain resulted in localized wind and hail damage

Alamosa, CO, posted a pair of daily-record lows (34°F both days) on July 3-4. In late June, heavy rain and high-elevation snow pounded the northern Rockies and northern High Plains. High temperatures on June 28 remained below the 50-degree mark in locations such as Butte, MT (46°F), and Challis, ID (48°F). In Montana, daily-record rainfall totals for June 28 topped an inch in Great Falls (1.62 inches), Cut Bank (1.54 inches), Butte (1.14 inches), and Townsend (1.07 inches). Over 48 hours in late June, Montana totals included 3.13 inches in Shelby and 2.87 inches in Great Falls. Meanwhile, locally heavy showers and thunderstorms peppered areas east of the Rockies. On June 28 in the eastern U.S., daily-record amounts reached 1.99 inches at Virginia’s Dulles Airport and 1.74 inches in Lumberton, NC. In West Virginia, Beckley observed its wettest June, with the 8.64-inch total edging the 2016 standard of 8.07 inches. July began on a wet note in the Great Lakes States; daily-record totals were set on the first day of the month in Rochester, MN (1.47 inches), and Gaylord, MI (1.28 inches). Rochester set another daily record on July 2, with 1.82 inches. With 4.24 inches on July 1-2, La Crosse, WI, marked its wettest 2-day period since August 7-8, 2021, when 7.36 inches fell. Late in the week, heavy rain returned across portions of the northern Plains, where Glasgow, MT (1.89 inches on July 3), observed its wettest day since May 20, 2020, when 1.94 inches fell. It was also Glasgow’s wettest July day since July 11, 1975, when 2.36 inches fell. Late-week thunderstorms were quite heavy in parts of the Midwest, where Des Moines, IA, netted 3.26 inches, a record for July 3. Another daily-record, 1.25 inches, was set in Des Moines on July 4. Other locations experiencing their wettest Independence Day on record were Sanford, FL (3.45 inches); El Dorado, AR (3.26 inches); and Oklahoma City, OK (1.76 inches). , Hawaii completed a mostly wetter-than-normal June, especially in windward locations. At the state’s major airport observation sites, June rainfall ranged from 0.32 inch (64 percent of normal) in Honolulu, Oahu, to 11.39 inches (156 percent) in Hilo, on the Big Island. Hilo received rainfall totaling 2.48 inches during the first 4 days of July.

July 5-11: Meaningful precipitation gradually shifted southward, with late-week rainfall becoming heavy (totaling 4 to 8 inches or more) and causing flash flooding in an area centered on where the Ohio River meets the Mississippi River. From there, heavy showers (locally 2 to 4 inches or more) extended eastward into the middle Atlantic States and southern New England. Many other areas east of the Rockies received some rain, although showers were merely light to moderately heavy, with a few exceptions.

heavy Eastern showers led to record-setting rainfall totals for July 5 in Sanford, FL (2.16 inches); Harrisburg, PA (2.05 inches); and Pittsburgh, PA (1.97 inches). Eastern records were set again on July 6, with daily amounts topping 2 inches in Bridgeport, CT (2.85 inches); Islip, NY (2.50 inches); and Leesburg, FL (2.21 inches). Heavy showers in the East Coast States lingered through July 7, when daily-record amounts reached 2.02 inches in Raleigh-Durham, NC, and 1.57 inches in Boston, MA. Early-week thunderstorms also peppered the North. On July 7 in South Dakota, Aberdeen (2.66 inches) and Mobridge (2.10 inches) collected daily-record totals, while Aberdeen reported a peak wind gust of 68 mph. Meanwhile in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Super Typhoon Bavi crossed Rota on July 6 with sustained winds near 180 mph. Significant wind-related impacts were observed as far north as Saipan and as far south as Guam, with both islands clocking gusts to at least 110 mph. Guam International Airport received 12.64 inches of rain on the 6th, a record for any July day (previously, 12.10 inches on July 5, 2015). During the mid- to late-week period, active weather continued across the central and eastern U.S. but began to shift southward. July 8 featured thunderstorm-induced wind gusts of 78 mph in La Junta, CO, and 70 mph in New Bern, NC. On July 9, Eastern daily-record rainfall totals reached 2.70 inches in Philadelphia, PA, and 2.45 inches in Montpelier, VT. For Philadelphia, it was the first calendar day with more than 2 inches of precipitation since March 23, 2024, when 3.09 inches fell. Heavy showers also lingered across Florida’s peninsula, where record-setting totals for July 10 included 2.63 inches in Punta Gorda and 1.97 inches in Naples. Late-week downpours in the lower Midwest and environs led to flash flooding. On July 10, daily-record totals topped the 2-inch mark in Carbondale, IL (3.05 inches) and Cape Girardeau, MO (2.49 inches). Much higher amounts, 5 to 10 inches or more, were observed in other parts of southeastern Missouri and southern Illinois. Record flooding was observed along the Black River near Annapolis, Iron County, MO, where the river rose approximately 24.7 feet in just a few hours on July 10. The high-water mark near Annapolis, which had been set on November 14, 1993, was surpassed by 1.35 feet. In neighboring Reynolds County, MO, multiple evacuations were necessary in the community of Lesterville. As the week ended on July 11, daily-record totals included 3.33 inches in Tulsa, OK, and 2.95 inches in Bowling Green, KY.

Substantial precipitation in several areas led to daily-record rainfall totals in Bethel (0.47 inch on July 7) and McGrath (1.23 inches on July 8). Farther south, ongoing showery weather in Hawaii’s windward locations boosted month-to-date (July 1-11) rainfall to 4.80 inches (160 percent of normal) in Hilo, on the Big Island. At the state’s other major airport observation sites, July 1-11 rainfall ranged from a trace in Honolulu, Oahu, to 0.67 inch (114 percent of normal) in Lihue, Kauai.

12-18: A multi-day period of torrential rain battered south central Texas and neighboring areas, affecting some of the same areas devastated by deadly flooding in July 2025. Portions of several south-central Texas counties received weekly rainfall totaling 8 to 20 inches or more, leading to flash flooding and river flooding. A footprint of heavy rain (locally 4 inches greater) extended as far east as the central Gulf Coast. an increasingly robust monsoon circulation resulted in scattered to widespread showers in the Four Corners States.

For much of the week, significant precipitation was limited to various parts of the southern U.S. Daily-record amounts reached 3.70 inches (on July 13) in West Palm Beach, FL; 1.83 inches (on July 12) in Vicksburg, MS; and 1.29 inches (on July 13) in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX. Meanwhile, south-central Texas began to experience periods of torrential rain, heaviest at night, starting on July 13-14. Over a 5-day period ending on the 17th, several locations—including an observation site near Kerrville, TX, received 20 to 28 inches of rain. Texas Hill County communities hard hit by the disastrous Independence Day 2025 flood—including Kerrville and Huntsville—fared better in the 2026 flood. Farther downstream, however, the Guadalupe River near Center Point, TX, crested on July 16, just 1.67 feet below its high-water mark on July 4, 2025. On the same day, the Guadalupe River at Comfort, TX, topped its July 2025 crest by 1.44 feet; it was the highest water level in that location since August 2, 1978. Meanwhile, the Nueces River below Uvalde, TX, achieved a record crest on July 16, topping the October 1996 high-water mark by 3.13 feet. Two days later, the Nueces River near Asherton, TX, achieved its third-highest crest, just 1.44 feet below the record set on June 30, 1913, and June 17, 1935. Other parts of Texas also received significant rain but avoided major flooding. On July 14, daily-record totals in Texas included 3.68 inches in College Station and 2.89 inches in Galveston. With 2.34 inches, Lake Charles, LA, also collected a daily-record sum for the 14th. Del Rio, TX, saw its month to-date rainfall climb to 7.47 inches, aided by a daily-record total of 4.72 inches on July 16. Late in the week, heavy showers developed or continued in the eastern U.S. In Florida, record-setting amounts for July 17 totaled 3.85 inches in St. Petersburg and 2.20 inches in Winter Haven. Eastern daily-record totals for July 18 topped the 2-inch mark in Asheville, NC (3.29 inches); Rochester, NY (3.01 inches); and Newark, NJ (2.38 inches). Farther west, monsoon-related showers were increasingly active. Flagstaff, AZ, was hit by 1.43 inches of rain on July 17—the wettest day in that location since October 18, 2024, when 1.45 inches fell. On the same day, several fatalities were reported when flash flooding tore through a box canyon near Bicknell, UT. Daily-record rainfall totals were observed on the 17th in other areas of the West, including Stanley, ID (0.47 inch), and Big Piney, WY (0.46 inch).

Anchorage received measurable rain each day and reported weekly rainfall totaling 2.19 inches, aided by a daily-record sum of 0.77 inch on July 12. To the north, McGrath also noted measurable rain each day during the week, totaling 1.96 inches. Southeastern Alaska bucked the trend, with mostly dry weather and near-normal temperatures. Farther south, Hawaii’s pattern of showers in windward areas and mostly dry weather in leeward locations continued. On the Big Island, Hilo’s month-to-date rainfall through July 18 rose to 7.62 inches (152 percent of normal), aided by a 1.01-inch sum on the 17th. Conversely, July 1-18 rainfall in Honolulu, Oahu, totaled 0.02 inch (7 percent of normal).

1-25: Showers associated with the North American monsoon circulation temporarily waned, although dry thunderstorms continued to ignite new Northwestern wildfires. By week’s end, U.S. year-to-date wildfires had scorched nearly 4.2 million acres of vegetation, about 125 percent of the 10-year average. Among more than four dozen active Northwestern fires, four in Oregon and one in Washington had burned more than 100,000 acres apiece. Farther east, mostly favorable weather prevailed in the central and eastern Corn Belt, amid scattered showers and near- or below normal temperatures. Readings averaged more than 5°F below normal from parts of the eastern Corn Belt into the Northeast. Heavy rain-soaked portions of the mid-Atlantic, reviving pastures and benefiting some summer crops.

Tropical Storm Bertha traversed the U.S. Gulf Coast region with relatively few impacts, as much of the cyclone’s wind and rain remained offshore. Bertha officially made landfall on July 22 in southeastern Louisiana and July 23 near the Texas Louisiana border.  Early-week showers were locally heavy in the Midwest, where Waterloo, IA, netted a daily-record total (1.99 inches) for July 20. Meanwhile, the disturbance that would become Tropical Storm Bertha produced heavy showers in parts of Florida. Apalachicola, FL, received 3.17 inches on July 20, a record for the date. The following day, Apalachicola recorded a southerly wind gust to 47 mph. Unrelated to Bertha, which initially had been a tropical depression west of Florida on July 19 and was officially named a day later, heavy showers dotted the East. Record-setting rainfall totals for July 21 included 2.24 inches in Zanesville, OH, and 1.59 inches in Providence, RI. Multiple locations in West Virginia, including Elkins (2.02 inches), Parkersburg (1.93 inches), and Clarksburg (1.86 inches), also collected daily-record amounts for July 21, while major flooding struck Weston, WV, and several other communities. The West Fork River at Weston crested on July 21 at its highest level since November 19, 2003. Parts of the West also noted heavy showers, especially during the first half of the week. In Wyoming, daily record rainfall totals included 0.62 inch (on July 21) in Laramie and 0.47 inch (on July 22) in Rawlins. On July 23, heavy rain in the middle Atlantic States led to daily-record totals in North Carolina locations such as Raleigh-Durham (2.04 inches) and Asheville (1.73 inches). In contrast, July 1-25 rainfall on the Plains totaled less than one-half inch in Wichita, KS (0.32 inch), and Guymon, OK (0.28 inch). Another round of Alaskan daily rainfall records occurred on July 22, when totals included 0.97 inch in McGrath and 0.96 inch in Bethel. McGrath last observed a warmer-than-normal day on July 10. Farther south, Hawaii remained in a stable weather pattern, with heavier showers limited to windward locations. On the Big Island, Hilo received July 1-25 rainfall totaling 10.31 inches, or 141 percent of normal.

26-Aug. 1: Significant rain had fallen in parts of the Northeast, with 4- to 10-inch totals observed from eastern New York into southern New England. The Northeastern rain, which mostly fell from July 28-30, led to pockets of flooding.

Showers associated with the North American monsoon circulation gradually waned, following scattered showers in the Four Corners States and environs. Little or no precipitation fell across the remainder of the western U.S. Dozens of wildfires raging in the Northwest led to heavy smoke and significant air-quality degradation. In early August, particularly dangerous fires in and near Spokane, WA, resulted in the loss of hundreds of homes.

On the first day of August, heat spanned the West. Among dozens of daily temperature records were highs of 116°F in Phoenix, AZ; 106°F in Havre, MT; 105°F in Worland, WY; 105°F in Salt Lake City, UT; and 104°F in Winnemucca, NV. Early in the week, thunderstorms dotted the East and Midwest. Record-setting rainfall totals for July 27 reached 2.68 inches in Salisbury, MD, and 1.83 inches in Miami, FL. On the same day in Wisconsin, Milwaukee’s daily-record sum of 1.75 inches accounted for nearly all of the month-to-date total of 1.91 inches. Milwaukee received rainfall totaling an additional 0.91 inch on July 31. Prior to mid-week, torrential rainfall erupted in parts of the Northeast. July 29 featured daily-record totals in Albany, NY (5.45 inches), and Worcester, MA (4.56 inches). For both locations, it was also the wettest July day on record, previously set with totals of 3.49 inches in Albany on July 13, 1996, and 3.87 inches in Worcester on July 31, 1985. In Albany, the only wetter day on record occurred on September 16, 1999, when 5.60 inches fell during the passage of former Hurricane Floyd. Meanwhile, a separate disturbance sparked heavy Midwestern showers. Record-setting rainfall totals for July 30 included 2.77 inches in Valentine, NE, and 2.56 inches in Mobridge, SD. Elsewhere in South Dakota, Sisseton collected 5.33 inches during the last 2 days of July. The last day of July featured daily-record totals topping the 2-inch mark in many Midwestern locations, including Dubuque, IA (3.01 inches); Poplar Bluff, MO (2.46 inches); and Rochester, MN (2.35 inches). Rochester’s monthly rainfall totaled 8.84 inches, representing the wettest July in that location since 1997. At week’s end, heavy showers spread eastward, leading to record-setting rainfall amounts for August 1 in Tallahassee, FL (3.68 inches), and Dayton, OH (2.20 inches).

Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com