June was fourth-wettest on record

By DAVID SKOLNICK

skolnick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Forget about April showers – the area was awash in June showers.

The Mahoning Valley had 8.15 inches of rain last month, making it the fourth-wettest June on record for the area, according to the National Weather Service. The records date back to 1897.

The most June rain recorded in the region was 10.66 inches in 1986, followed by 10.09 inches in 1992.

The average June rainfall for the Valley is 3.88 inches.

The weather service tracks Valley weather data at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna.

So, for example, there were parts of the Valley that had flooding issues Saturday from heavy thunderstorms, but there was no rain accumulation reported at the airport.

“There were some areas with 10 to 12 inches of rain, mostly in northern Trumbull County and into Mercer” County, said Eric Wilhelm, chief meteorologist for 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner.

It rained 20 out of the 30 days last month, according to weather service data with the heaviest amount of 1.42 inches June 5. It rained more than an inch three other times: 1.02 on June 15, 1.18 on June 16 and 1.04 on June 20.

The average temperature last month was a little higher than normal. The average was 67.4 degrees last month. The average for June in the area is 66.4 degrees.

The hottest day was 91 degrees Friday followed by 90 degrees Thursday and 89 degrees Saturday. Those were the hottest days for the area since Sept. 5, 2018, Wilhelm said.

The expected rainfall for this month is expected to be about average, Wilhelm said. The area’s average July rain accumulation is 4.31 inches.

“July will not be as wet compared to the average,” he said.

July will start off hot with temperatures this week close to 90 degrees, but then cool off the following two weeks, Wilhelm said.

“The first week could possibly be the hottest of July,” he said.