By Mike O'Neal
Staff Writer
Meteorologists forecast a return this week to the typical dry, sunny days of summer.
"We will dry out a little bit through this week," WTVC-TV NewsChannel 9 meteorologist Erin Sebree said. "It will be typical for this time of year: dry, hot and humid."
She said daytime highs in the low 90s coupled with only slight chances of afternoon thunderstorms and showers are forecast this week.
Recent rainy days dropped temperatures below July norms and tempered the area's 18-month drought, according to National Weather Service records.
The average temperature was 77.9 degrees for July 1-28, which is 1.7 degrees below normal, according to Tim Doyle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn.
"Temperatures will be higher this week," he said. "But it won't be quite as humid, so it will feel about the same as last week."
High humidity accompanied the past four rainy weeks, he said.
Records show at least a trace of rain recorded 18 of the first 28 days during July at Chattanaooga Metropolitan Airport, and a daily rainfall record was set Saturday, Mr. Doyle said.
There was 2.74 inches of rain measured in 24 hours Saturday, breaking the record of 2.5 inches set in 1972.
Including the record-breaking Saturday, Mr. Doyle said the month-to-date rainfall total of 7.18 inches was 2.86 inches above normal.
Even so, the near daily deluges during July have only blunted a rainfall deficit of 12.23 inches since January.
The National Drought Monitor notes that locally heavy rains throughout the Southeast lessened the severity of the drought only slightly.
The monitor's July 24 update states "major precipitation deficits remained over the Southeast, with significant topsoil shortages and crop impact" and notes both Huntsville and Cullman, Ala., are at record lows for year-to-date precipitation.
In Georgia, 48 percent of the corn crop rated poor to very poor and pastures were 43 percent poor to very poor; in Tennessee, 61 percent of hay and 47 percent of corn crops were listed as being in poor to very poor condition, according to the monitor.
Mr. Doyle said the long-range outlooks, for both the next 90 days and the next 12 months, calls for near normal conditions across the Tennessee Valley.
Meteorologists agree that if those forecasts are accurate the drought will linger.
"Rains like Saturday's will help," Ms. Sebree said. "Hit-and-miss showers will leave us about where we've been; the drought won't get any better, but it won't get worse."
E-mail Mike O'Neal at moneal@timesfreepress.com
By the numbers
* All-time highest temperature of 106 degrees was set July 28, 1952.
* Most rain in one hour was 2.7 inches recorded July 27, 1976.
* Most rain in 24 hours was 7.61 inches on March 29-30, 1886.
Source: National Weather Service
