July 2022: An unrelenting monsoon flow continued the trend we have seen all summer. A steady stream of sub-tropical moist air has kept most of Colorado wet. Rain total for the month was a whopping 5.33 inches, a full 3.2 inches above normal. The only August with more rain was in 2001 where 5.77 fell. Cloudy skies were the norm causing below normal highs and warm overnight lows. Mountain residents took comfort in the complete shutdown of the fire threat….at least for now.

Temperature: Cool highs and warm lows were the rule with an average high of 74F and an average low of 52F. This gave us a month about 3 degrees above normal. Highest high was 82F on the 4th; lowest high was 58F on the 16th. Lowest low was 43F on the 17th.

Precipitation: Raindrops fell on 19 of the 31 days of the month. This included trace amounts up to 1.66 inches on the 6th. Six days had between a quarter to half an inch. Total rain was 5.33 inches; normal is 2.12 inches. The thunderstorm on the 6th had an amazing precipitation rate of over 8 inches per hour. Of course it didn’t rain for a full hour, but such rates are usually seen in the tropics. We had several days of small hail.

Winds: Like July, August is not known for its winds…so no days at 40+mph.

Other Features: The plains were quite warm with many days in the 90s. Precipitation was not as heavy as the mountains, although Denver has significant flooding at times.

Outlook for September: Big changes come in September as the days get shorter. Aspens and poplars start going golden as we approach mid month. Average highs are 66F with lows at 36F. Precipitation falls off to 1.7 inches with 4 inches of snow. We have three days with winds 40+mph. The long range models predict the demise of the monsoon so we will be warm and dry through the 9th or so. This will be followed by a series of Pacific cold fronts with improved chances of showers mid month. After that temperatures will continue to be warm with slightly better chances for rain.