June 2024 Overview – Midwestern Regional Climate Center

Temperature

The average June temperature for the Midwest was 70.4°F, which was 1.4°F above the 1991-2020 normal (Figure 1). Temperatures were near normal across the northwest portion of the region, warming to 1-3°F above normal in the central and lower Midwest (Figure 2). Statewide average temperatures ranged from 0.3°F below normal in Minnesota to 2.3°F above normal in Illinois. Temperatures spanned the extremes in mid-June across the region. The coldest temperatures were reported on June 10 (Figure 3) and June 11 (Figure 4) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and northern Minnesota, where overnight lows dipped into the upper 20s and low 30s, and in northern Wisconsin, where temperatures were in the mid to upper 30s. On June 11, Indiana had widespread temperatures in the upper 30s to low 40s, with temperatures in the low to mid 40s reported in Ohio and Illinois. Temperatures quickly flipped, with intense warm blanketing the region from about June 16-19 (Figure 5). Widespread temperatures in the mid to upper 90s were recorded from Iowa to Ohio, with Michigan and Wisconsin reaching the low to mid 90s. Toledo, Ohio, recorded seven consecutive days with temperatures at or above 90°F. Several long-running stations across the central Midwest had a top 10 warmest June on record (Figure 6).

Precipitation

June precipitation totaled 4.75 inches for the Midwest, which was 0.21 inches above normal, or 105 percent of normal (Figure 1). Precipitation was above normal across the upper Midwest and Missouri and below normal across the central Midwest and Ohio River Valley (Figure 7). Statewide precipitation totals ranged from 2.01 inches below normal in Indiana to 2.36 inches above normal in Minnesota. Final rankings reveal that Minnesota experienced its 4th wettest June on record, Wisconsin the 6th wettest, and Michigan the 10th wettest. Minnesota was hit particularly hard with repeated heavy rainfall events in June. Dozens of stations across Minnesota reported single-day rainfall totals in excess of 4 inches. Across southern Minnesota and far northwest Iowa, June precipitation totaled 10-15 inches, with a large portion of the rain falling from June 16-24. Abundant rainfall resulted in widespread catastrophic flooding that breached dams and levees, closed interstate highways, forced evacuations, and required numerous water rescues (MN Department of Natural Resources). Across the Ohio River Valley, June precipitation was 25-50 percent of normal. Cincinnati, Ohio, tied for the 2nd driest June in 153 years with just 0.8 inches of rain. Abnormal dryness and moderate drought expanded across the central and eastern Midwest in June (Figure 8).