Precipitation has been below average in Trenton nine consecutive months and in eleven of the past 12 months. Rainfall in July in Trenton was just 25 percent of normal while the yearly precipitation is just 39 percent of average.
Rainfall totaled 1.06 inches in Trenton during July which is 3.25 inches below average. Rain and melted precipitation for the year in Trenton totaled 9.08 inches which is 13.94 inches below normal for January through July.
The monthly rainfall of 1.06 inches was the smallest amount received during July in Trenton since the year 2007 when six-tenths of an inch was measured. This year was the sixth driest July in Trenton since 1970.
The yearly precipitation of 9.08 inches is the second smallest amount of precipitation in a century in Trenton for January through July. The least amount of precipitation was 8.58 inches in 1988 which was one-half inch less than this year. Precipitation in 1988 rebounded with 5.43inches in August and 4.13 inches in September but 1988 still is the driest year on record in Trenton since 1918 with just 21.98 inches of precipitation.
1936 saw the second driest year in Trenton since 1918 with 22.98 inches which was one inch more than in 1988.
Comparing the “growing months” of April through July there were 5.49 inches of rainfall in Trenton during 1988, 6.13 inches this year, and 6.81 inches in 1936.
Breaking that down further to the summer months, 1988 had .69 hundredths in June and 1.75 inches in July before getting 5.43 inches in August which was fairly well spread out during that month of August. This year has had 2.24 inches in June and 1.06 inches in July.
The year 1936 had .98 hundredths in June, half an inch in July, and only 17 hundredths in August. 1936 had 31 record highs in Trenton during June through August. 1988 had five record highs during those Summer months, all on consecutive days in June.
There’s been just one record high this Summer in Trenton which was June 17th when it was 99. However, May of this year had five dates that set or tied record highs.
Temperatures this July in Trenton were above normal on most days in the first half of the month. There were several days in the second half of the month that were near average or below normal. Overall, highs for the month averaged around 90 and lows 67.3 degrees. That was one degree above average for highs and typical for lows.
The hottest temperatures last month were 103 on July 12th and 100 degrees on both July 11th and 13th. All of those temperatures were at the Trenton Fire station at 17th and Harris where readings are taken for the National Weather Service.
The hottest temperature in downtown Trenton last month was 100 degrees on July 12th. The coolest temperature last month in Trenton was 57 on July 30th.
