Virginia July 2010 Temperature and Precipitation Records

The official statistics for the Commonwealth from July 2010 were released today from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center. Virginia recorded its 5th hottest and 10th driest July on record, but much of the central Virginia region had its hottest July ever, including Richmond. However, the May through July average temperature for Virginia is the hottest on record. Much of the eastern and Southeast U.S. had abnormally hot and dry weather in July, while the Plains and upper Midwest dealt with heavy rain and severe weather events that led to wetter-than-average conditions and either average or slightly warmer-than-average temperatures.
Why was there such a discrepancy from the middle of the country to the East? Persistent high pressure plagued the southeast and eastern U.S. most of July, with storm tracks moving from the Plains into the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Virginia, as we well know from our current drought conditions, was bypassed by most of these storm systems. The national average temperature for the contiguous U.S. was the 17th warmest on record.

Dense Fog Advisory Monday Morning

A Dense Fog Advisory will be in effect until 8 a.m. for part of central and southeast Virginia, where locally dense fog has developed early this Monday morning. Visibilities are being reduced below a quarter-mile in spots, especially in lower-lying locations. Skies have been clear overnight with light to calm winds, which helps fog develop. This morning's fog is in basically the same region as on Sunday morning. Use caution if you are driving in this part of the state this morning. Keep your headlights on the normal beam setting, slow down, and put extra space between you and surrounding vehicles. I expect the fog to begin dissipating between 8 and 9 a.m., with mostly clear skies the rest of today.

Locally Dense Fog Sunday Morning

With clear skies and light winds overnight, locally dense fog has developed in south-central Virginia up to the Richmond metro. You can see it in the visible satellite image above, with the fog extending into eastern North Carolina and South Carolina. Visibilities are being reduced below a quarter mile in spots, especially in lower-lying areas and along rivers, creeks, and streams. Use caution if you must drive early this morning. Keep your headlights on the normal beam setting, slow down, and allow extra space between you and surrounding vehicles. I expect the fog to dissipate after 9 a.m. as the surface air begins mixing while temperatures warm up in the region. The fog might be a nuisance, but it has developed as a result of good low-level moisture in the ground and near the surface after last week's heavy downpours. Most of the state is still in moderate to severe drought, but the fact we've even been able to get some fog developing a couple days after the storms means those rains helped the soil moisture in south-central Virginia.