Union-Bulletin

WALLA WALLA -- July brought some real summer heat, but no real rain.

The year's first triple-digit days arrived with highs cracking into the 100-degree range three times. The hottest day was July 25, when the mercury topped out at 101 degrees, while the coolest night came Independence Day with a low of 52 degrees.

The plentiful precipitation that marked June, however, definitely dried up and blew away. July had only two days of measurable rainfall, both at the start of the month, that delivered a total of .10 inches, according to the National Weather Service. Despite some localized showers, including a brief hailstorm that hit downtown Walla Walla on Friday morning, only zero or trace amounts were recorded at Walla Walla Regional Airport for 29 straight days starting July 3 through the end of the month.

The dry weather left the total precipitation for July at .63 inches below normal. Total rain and snow for the year is now 9.97 inches, which is 2.11 inches below normal. The total for the water year, which runs from October through September, is now 15.26 inches, which is 3.95 inches below normal.

The highest wind gust occurred July 12 with a top speed of 39 mph as recorded at the airport.

Andy Porter can be reached at andyporter@wwub.com or 526-8318. Check out his blog at blogs.ublabs.org/randomthoughts.