NATIONAL STORM SUMMARY

JULY 2011

1st-9th…In the Southwest, a plume of moisture associated with the
remnants of Tropical Storm Arlene moved northward from Mexico on
Monday. While rain persisted across most of Mexico, the system also
created scattered showers from southern California and Arizona to Utah
and Wyoming. In the East, a low pressure system that hovered over
eastern Canada pushed a frontal boundary over the Great Lakes region.
The system stretched from the Northeast, over New England, down the
Ohio River Valley, and into the Midwest. It kicked up scattered
showers and thunderstorms, but severe storms have not yet developed.
Heaviest rainfall developed ahead of the front, over the Tennessee
River Valley. A mid-day total of 1.30 inches was reported in
Bentonville, Arkansas, while Glasgow, Kentucky saw a mid-day total of
1.23 inches of rain. In the Plains, flooding remained a concern in the
North. Repeated rain showers have allowed for rivers to remain swollen
across the Missouri River and surrounding tributaries.
The East Coast and Central U.S. saw multiple areas of wet weather on
Wednesday, while the West Coast and Great Lakes saw mostly sunny
skies. Low pressure over Quebec pushed a cold front into New York
triggering heavy showers and thunderstorms. This system also brought
moderate rainfall to most of Maine. Severe thunderstorm warnings are
in effect for most of the Northeast. However, high pressure over the
Great Lakes contributed to sunny and mild conditions. To the south,
ample moisture pushed onshore kicked up strong storms across the Mid-
Atlantic, Tennessee Valley, and Southeastern US. Strong winds have
been reported in Boones, Virginia, which contributed to trees blown
down. In addition, a tropical wave positioned over Cuba brought heavy
showers to southern Florida. These storms are contributing to rainfall
from a fifth of an inch to 0.8 inches. To the west, a low pressure
system moved into the Northern Plains contributing to heavy downpours
and strong winds extending into Colorado. 40 to 50 mph winds have been
reported in Hermosa, South Dakota with the highest midday rainfall
total in Buffalo, South Dakota at 1.51 inches. At the same time, low
pressure located over Kansas brought moderate rainfall across the
Central Plains.
The Eastern U.S. saw periods of heavy rain on Friday, as a front
stalled over the East Coast. The system moved over the Eastern Valleys
and into the Eastern Seaboard. The warm and humid air ahead of this
system allowed for scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop from
the Northeast to the Mid-Atlantic states. Some of these storms turned
severe with heavy downpours and strong winds. Rainfall totals ranged
around 2 inches, with up to 2.38 inches reported at Fort Eustis,
Virginia. These heavy rain showers allowed for flooding to remain of
concern across the eastern Valleys. Meanwhile in the South, a low
pressure system over the eastern Gulf of Mexico pushed over the
Southeast. Heaviest rainfall was reported in St. Petersburg, Florida,
with a mid-day total of 2.81 inches. The system had a low, 10 percent,
chance of tropical storm formation, but managed to create some more
heavy downpours associated with strong storms over Florida and the
Bahamas.

A low pressure system in western Canada pushed a trough of low
pressure off the Northern Rockies and into the Northern Plains early
on Friday. In the Southwest, monsoon moisture allowed for a few more
thunderstorms to pop up across the deserts. Flash flooding threatened
northern Arizona, after heavy downpours developed.
The eastern U.S. saw multiple areas of active weather on Wednesday. A
storm system moved off the Rockies into the Northern Plains and
contributed to widespread showers and thunderstorms from Nebraska to
Minnesota. Rain from this system has brought totals between a quarter
of an inch to 2 inches with the highest rainfall total at 4.45 inches
in Winfield, Kansas. To the East, low pressure systems have pushed a
frontal boundary through the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Central
Plains triggering heavy showers and thunderstorms from Oklahoma to
Pennsylvania.

17th-23rd…Heavy rain persisted along the Gulf, and storms developed in
the North on Monday. In the East, a cold front draped along the
Northern US, stretched from the Northeast, over New England, and into
the Great Lakes. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed along
this frontal boundary, some of which have turned severe with large
hail and strong winds. Golf ball size hail was reported in Arcadia,
Wisconsin, while multiple trees and power lines were blown down across
Michigan and Pennsylvania. In the South, a low pressure system
developed over the Gulf of Mexico and brought periods of heavy rains
and strong storms to the surrounding shores. Salt Point, Louisiana
reported a mid-day total of 1.97 inches of rain and Cocoa Beach,
Florida reported 1.67 inches of rain.
A cold front draped across the Great Lakes and U.S.-Canadian border on
Friday. This kicked up scattered showers and thunderstorms, some of
which have turned severe. Numerous trees and power lines have blown
down from strong winds across northern Indiana. Periods of heavy
rainfall have developed associated with these thunderstorms. A mid-day
total of 3.00 inches was reported in Waukegan, Illinois.
The nation saw plenty areas of active weather on Friday, while the
West Coast and Pacific Northwest saw mostly sunny skies. A low
pressure system spinning over Quebec pushed a frontal boundary
southward through the Northern U.S. The front extended from the
Northeast to the Central Plains and triggered showers and
thunderstorms. Rainfall totals associated with these storms ranged
from a half of an inch to over two inches, with the highest mid-day
rainfall total reported in Lamoni, Iowa at 2.18 inches.
To the south, Tropical Storm Don approached the southeastern coast of
Texas and brought heavy showers and strong winds to the region. The
rotation of this system has pushed warm, moist air from the Gulf of
Mexico onshore, which triggered scattered showers across the South and
Tennessee Valley. Wind gusts associated with these storms ranged from
30 to 50 mph. Meanwhile, a ridge of high pressure over Florida
continued to bring hot and humid temperatures to most of the Eastern
US. Temperatures reached over 100 degrees, with heat indices between
110 and 120 degrees.