Powder River Examiner -

Spotty moisture and a hot spell during the latter stages of July were perhaps the major stories in regards to weather in July, as some areas of the county received heavy rainfall, while others received scant moisture.

On July 24th the temperature reached 105 in Broadus, setting a new record daily high for that date. The previous record was 104, set in 2007.

Several days of high temps surrounded the 24th, but overall the month of July was relatively moderate, with an overall average temperature for the month of 74.4, which is 0.4 degrees below normal. Part of the reason behind the below normal average was a cool 4th of July, with a high of 71 on the 4th, while the temperature dipped to 44 overnight.

Broadus received steady rainfall throughout the month, with 8 days featuring measurable precipitation. The high came on July 3rd, with 1.70” recorded, which is essentially the same amount Broadus receives on average for the entire month.

The high moisture totals were not consistent around the area. The Biddle 8 miles SW station had 1.29” in July, the Moorhead 9 miles NE station 0.93”, the Sonnette 7 miles SW station 1.69”, Volborg 0.34”, and Powderville 8 miles NNE station 0.66”.

August began with promises of high moisture, but the expected low pressure area split, and Powder River County remained sandwiched in between. Broadus still received around a half inch of moisture, but far from the 2-3” originally forecast. Meanwhile, areas to the northeast near Baker received over 4” of rain.