LITTLE ROCK — July was the hottest month recorded in U.S. history, breaking a record set during the 1936 Dust Bowl, climate scientists said Wednesday, adding that 32 states — including Arkansas — saw near-record temperatures.
The continental United States reported an average temperature of 77.6 degrees last month, breaking the record of 77.4 degrees set 75 years ago, when much of the Southwest was in an epic drought.
The National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., has kept weather records since 1895.
With temperatures often topping 100 degrees in Arkansas last month and drought conditions continuing to worsen, July was the sixth-hottest month on record for the state, said Jake Crouch, a climatologist with the center.
Arkansas had an average temperature of 84.1 degrees last month. But the hottest months in the state were July 1980 and July 1954, each with an average of 85.4 degrees.
Averages are compiled by comparing daily high and low temperatures at several stations across the state, Crouch said.
Temperatures are expected to remain high for the next several weeks, and August could see near-record highs as well, said Brian Smith, a National Weather Service meteorologist in North Little Rock.
“The best chance is that temperatures will stay largely above normal for one to three months,” Smith said. “Precipitation should be below normal. So we’ll continue to see hot and dry weather.”
Despite the nationwide record, only Virginia broke a state record for the hottest month ever, he said.
However, 32 states listed July as being in their top-10 hottest months on record.
That’s an indication of how widespread last month’s heat was, Crouch said.
“In 1936, the heat was confined to a smaller part of the country,” Crouch said. “It wasn’t as intense, and it wasn’t in as large an area as it is now.
“We’re beyond the Dust Bowl this year,” he said.
Last month, Little Rock recorded the hottest reading in the state at 111 degrees. Hot Springs and Russellville each reached 109 degrees for July highs, and Fort Smith recorded 108 degrees for its highest temperature for July.
Mountain Home’s mercury climbed to 107 degrees, Monticello reached 106 degrees and Pine Bluff hit 105 for highs last month.
The heat has sent Arkansans in search of ways to cool off.
Families have flocked daily to War Memorial Park’s “splash pad” in Little Rock, said Michelle Martindill, an employee of the park’s golf pro shop.
The “splash pad” features several large shallow pools with fountains where children can play.
“Every day it’s crowded until dark,” Martindill said. “Kids go crazy there. Parents bring ice chests and sit there all day. You’d think it was a beach.”
Dana Whisenhunt, marketing manager at the Magic Springs and Crystal Falls water and theme park in Hot Springs, said workers have added several shaded areas and spray mists throughout the park this year.
She said stations that spray fine mists of cool water were installed at an outdoor children’s theater and at spots where visitors stand in lines for concessions.
“We needed more places that were cool,” she said. “We’ve seen good [attendance] numbers, but once we hit temperatures over 100 or 105, that seems to be an impact that can keep some people from going outside.”
County-fair organizers are also concerned that the heat will cut down on visitors.
“We’re hoping it’ll cool down by the time the fair opens,” said Kenneth Jackson, the manager of the Yell County Fair, which begins during the second week in September. “It’s been hot and dry, and I think it’ll still be hot then. We may not get cooler until November, but we’ll have a fair anyway.”
Faulkner County Fair manager David Henze said he’s seen a decrease this year in the number of cattle entered in the livestock judging events. The fair in Conway begins on Sept. 18.
He said the decline is a result of area farmers selling their cattle because of the drought. Pasturelands, where cattle feed, have dried up in the scorching heat, he said.
“We have more overall livestock entries this year than last year, but the cattle entries have gone down,” he said. “We’re seeing more small animals, like chickens and rabbits, being entered. It’s a lot cheaper now feeding a chicken or a rabbit than a cow.”
Nearly 45 percent of the state is in an “exceptional” drought, meaning 30-day rainfall amounts are more than 5 inches below normal.
Since the first of the year, Jonesboro received only 15.6 inches of rain — 12.97 inches below normal for the first seven months — weather service data indicated Wednesday.
Pine Bluff had a deficit of 10.92 inches for the year, Fayetteville’s rainfall for the year was 8.11 inches below normal and Little Rock had a deficit of 7.75 inches through July.
The drought conditions have also perpetuated the high temperatures, Crouch at the North Carolina climate center said.
Russellville had 30 days in June and July where temperatures surpassed 100 degrees. Fort Smith recorded 27 days with 100 or above readings, and Mountain Home had 23 days with the mercury topping triple digits during the past two months.
“Continuous heat evaporates moisture from the soil,” Crouch said. “When the sun’s energy hits the [dry] soil, temperatures climb. That leads to more evaporation, and that leads to more heating. Once you get into that pattern, it’s hard to break it.”
Storms popped up in the central, southern and western parts of the state Wednesday afternoon, dropping some rain. Smith expected the storms to dissipate as temperatures cooled during the evening.
Hot and dry “conditions are forecast to persist through August,” Crouch said. “We could see increased temperatures in August, and we may see many more records broken for that month.”
Front Section, Pages 1 on 08/09/2012