No matter where you were in the Minot area, or how you measured it, July was one hot month. In fact, the average temperature at the Minot International Airport was an astounding 4.7 degrees above average. The average is calculated by using both the daytime high and nighttime low temperatures.

So what you say? Well, that’s a lot of change, the second hottest month since National Weather Service record keeping began for Minot in 1905. Only July of 1936, in the midst of the “Dirty ’30s,” was hotter in the past 115 years.

The NWS uses two recording points for Minot, one at the North Central Research and Extension Center, south of the city, and one at the International Airport on the north side of the city. Temperature and precipitation totals from the two sites often vary, with the two locations providing valuable data for weather watchers in the region.

For example, July precipitation at North Central Research was listed at 2.50 inches as compared to 2.14 inches at the Minot Airport. The first total is greater than the long-term average of 2.43 inches south of Minot while the total at the airport is less. In the region the rainfall to date this year is roughly 65% of average, which has resulted in drought conditions.

According to the NWS, Bismarck bore the brunt of high temperatures in North Dakota in July at 7.5 degrees above normal, that city’s second warmest July since 1874. Bismarck eclipsed 100 degrees on several days en route to a monthly average temperature of 78.8 degrees.

When Minot recorded its hottest July ever in 1936 the thermometer topped 100 degrees a dozen times with another 12 days of 90-99 degrees. And that was combined with a mere 0.42 inches of precipitation!

Minot’s average high temperature for August is 81.2 degrees with an average low of 55.7 degrees. Average precipitation for August is 2.04 inches. Warmer than normal and drier than normal conditions are expected at least until mid-month.

–

July record-setting month for above 90 degrees

The month of July set a record with 13 of the days above 90 degrees, according to Austin Kraklau of the North Central Research Extension Center, south of Minot.

“The next closest was July 2006 with 12 days above 90 degrees,” Kraklau said.

He said the average temperature for the month of July was 74.3 degrees. That was 5.8 degrees above the 114-year, long-term average of 68.5 degrees.

Kraklau said the lowest temperature of the month was 49 degrees on July 7 and the high was 99 degrees on July 4 and July 20.

“The total moisture for the month was 2.5 inches which is 0.17 inches above the long-term average of 2.33 inches. July has been the wettest month of 2021,” Kraklau said.

August may be another record-setting month. Forecasters say temperatures for most of the rest of the week will be in the 90s.