June finished quite dry across much of southern North Dakota with the exception of some portions of Barnes County. The driest locations were in both far southwestern and southeastern North Dakota. Much of Richland County recorded less than 1” of rain during the month. With a monthly average in the southern Red River Valley of nearly 4”, getting less than 1” is a noticeable deficit. June is by far the wettest month of the year and May and June rains are crucial for the replenishment of soil moisture that can be used during the warmer and usually drier months of July and August. There looks to be several rain possibilities next week in particular and even one good rain would do much to eliminate the current water concerns in many locations, but for now many are looking toward the sky for rain. June 2016 temperatures finished near or just above the 30 year average for much of the state. . All corresponding graphics are presented below.
Daryl Ritchison