Midwest Overview - June 2014

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Rainy June in Midwest

June was a rainy month for a majority of the Midwest, with much of the region receiving at least 5" of precipitation (Figure 1). The most precipitation fell in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota, where 10" to 15" fell throughout the month, which are anywhere from 6" to 10" above normal (Figure 2). Kentucky and eastern Michigan were the only areas in the Midwest with below normal precipitation for June.

Iowa came into June with much of the state in need of additional rainfall to replenish soil moisture reserves depleted by a very dry second half of 2013. While Iowa received enough precipitation during the month to drastically improve drought conditions in the state (Figure 3), it didn't come without some consequences. Periods of heavy rainfall caused severe flooding along the Rock and Big Sioux Rivers in northwest Iowa during the second half of June. The Big Sioux River crested on June 20th, just a few feet off the record (Figure 4). Record maximum rainfall totals for any calendar month were set at nine stations in Iowa, including Cherokee, Iowa (Cherokee County), which received 17" of precipitation in June 2014 (previous record was 13.11" in June 2010). Other Iowa cities breaking this record include Sioux City (Woodbury County), Sioux Rapids (Buena Vista County), Emmetsburg (Palo Alto County), Rock Rapids (Lyon County), Le Mars (Plymouth County), Holstein (Ida County), Sanborn (O'Brien County), and Orange City (Sioux County).

Based on preliminary state precipitation data, eight out of the nine Midwest states had above average June precipitation. The greatest departure of +4.36" was Iowa, while Minnesota was second at +3.67" above average. Kentucky was the only state that received below normal precipitation in June (-0.43" below normal).

	June 2014	Departure from 1981-2010 Normal			June 2014	Departure from 1981-2010 Normal
Illinois	6.85"	+2.64"		Minnesota	7.96"	+3.67"
Indiana	5.7"	+1.46"		Missouri	6.3"	+1.68"
Iowa	9.31"	+4.36"		Ohio	5.45"	+1.43"
Kentucky	3.83"	-0.43"		Wisconsin	6.74"	+2.53"
Michigan	3.84"	+0.55"

Near to Slightly Above Normal June Temperatures

Average temperatures in June in the Midwest ranged from near normal in the west to slightly above normal further east (Figure 5). The greatest departures of +2°F to +3°F were in central Wisconsin, southern Indiana, northern Kentucky, and eastern Ohio. Outside of these areas, temperatures were within a degree of normal. June started out slightly warmer than average, but the second week was cooler than norma across the region. The third and fourth week of June were also above normal, similar to the start of the month.

Active Month for Severe Weather

June 2014 was an active month for severe weather, with 25 of the 30 days having at least one severe weather report in the region. The most active severe weather days were June 3rd, 16th, 18th, and 30th. On the 3rd, the severe weather occurred mainly in the western Midwest, with several high wind reports, large hail, and one tornado in Iowa. On the 16th, significant severe weather occurred across the upper Midwest, mainly across Iowa, southern Minnesota, southern Wisconsin, and northern Illinois. There were 22 tornado reports across 8 counties in Iowa and 2 counties in Wisconsin (more details in the week 2 Climate Watch). On the 18th, reports were plentiful across eastern portions of the region, including a high wind report of 81mph in Adrian, MI (Lenawee County) and 77mph in Aurora, IL (Kendall County). On the 30th, Iowa, northern Illinois, northern Indiana, southern Wisconsin, and southern Michigan were significantly affected by severe weather. There were multiple tornado reports and damage that occurred during this severe weather event (more details in the week 4 Climate Watch).

Growing Season Update

At the beginning of June, the majority of corn had been planted across the Midwest. Soybeans were still being planted, but by the end of the month, planting was complete. At the end of June, the majority of crops in the Midwest remain in either "Good" or "Excellent" condition (Figure 6) (Figure 7). Mentioned previously, there was severe flooding in Iowa during the second half of June. The heavy rain and flooding caused damage to crops in Iowa and there is the potential for lasting effects on crops as fertilizer may have been washed away and standing water in fields could have killed some plants.

-MW-
Extension Climatologist for Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and the Midwestern Regional Climate Center

The Iowa Climatology Bureau also contributed to this report.
The Kentucky Climate Center also contributed to this report.
The Missouri Climate Center also contributed to this report.