A Drier June in the Midwest

Chicago Area 

Overall, June trended both drier and warmer than normal, with June 2022 being the first time several locations saw temperatures reach 100 degrees since the summer of 2012. The average high temperature was 82.6 degrees, an impressive 2.2 degrees above normal. Even when taking in account low temperatures, June averaged at 72.2, 1.6 degrees above normal. With the above normal temperatures came below normal precipitation with only 2.66" of rainfall, about 1.5" below average for this time of year.

The beginning of the month was rather uneventful by June standards with highs in the mid-70s and low-80s for the first few days of the month. A few light showers passed through the overnight of the 1st, though dry conditions set in for the several days thereafter. In fact, it was one of the driest environments in decades on the 3rd, with near-record low dew points observed. The lowest recorded dew point was 28 degrees with a temperature of 80, meaning the relative humidity was a mere 15%. O'Hare has only recorded June dew points below 30 degrees 28 times over the last 50 years, with three of those observations occurring on the 3rd. However, this dry stretch didn't last long as significant rainfall arrived on the 6th, when slow-moving showers and storms produced 1-2" of rain in some spots.

The second week of the month remained rather cool and cloudy, with periods of rain and storms returning on the 8th that lasted into the early morning of the 9th. Highs rose slightly into the upper 70s during this timeframe, but were still a bit below average for this point in the season. Much more active weather arrived on the 13th when a robust supercell moved over 100 miles from northeast Illinois to northwest Indiana between 5:30-8:30 PM. The storm produced wide swaths of wind damage across the area, with NWS survey teams finding some damage consistent with scattered to widespread gusts of 75-95 mph (the most severe winds impacted places such as Shaumburg and Elk Grove Village, and northeast Dupage and central Cook counties). Two EF-0 tornadoes were also observed in Hoffman Estates and Shaumburg/Roselle.

Peak wind gusts from the storm on June 13th. Via NWS Chicago.

The middle of the month saw the most impressive heat Chicago has seen in nearly a decade. O'Hare reported high temperatures of 98 on the 14th and 96 on the 15th. Midway reached 100 degrees on both the 14th and 15th. A cold front moved through the vicinity the 14th and 15th which produced just a few nuisance thunderstorms and periodic moderate rain. Pleasant conditions returned following the front's passage, with breezy weather setting in with reduced humidity and warm temperatures.

After the short cool down, the heat and humidity returned with a vengeance on the 20th and 21st, with highs in the middle to upper 90s (Chicago O'Hare reported an impressive 101 degrees). A cold front passed through the evening of the 21st with only a few storms for the next couple days. Things were quiet and uneventful for the end of the month, with highs in the 70s and flirting with the lower 80s. A warming trend took shape through the end of the month, with highs topping out int the low-to-mid 90s with limited shower activity.

Indianapolis Area

June was a warmer month with most locations averaging 1-2 degrees above normal. On the other hand, precipitation was significantly below normal for this time of year, with just 1.18" recorded (3.77" inches below average). Even the wettest day of the month, which occurred on the 12th, only brought a measly 0.49" to the area.

June began with warm weather with most days in the low to mid 80s. This warm stretch was short-lived, however, as cooler and more seasonable conditions worked in after the 6th. From the 6th to the 12th, highs only reached the mid-to-upper 70s and the days averaged 2 - 5 degrees below normal. This was the wettest period of the month with 6 of 7 days seeing at least a trace of rainfall. The wettest day of the month came on the 12th, but less than half an inch fell from garden variety thunderstorms.

High temperatures turned more summer-like during the middle of the month, with several days in the upper-80s and low-90s. The 21st saw the highest temperature of the month, with a reading of 95 degrees recorded at Indianapolis International Airport. Incredibly, no precipitation was recorded from the 14th to the 25th as high pressure dominated the region.

With so much dry weather during the month, it's no surprise June ended tranquil with no precipitation. While temperatures cooled back to near 80 on the 27th, the area gradually warmed, reaching the low 90s to end the month. Overall, June 2022 marked the 8th driest June on record for the Indianapolis area.

Ohio

June saw a mix of active and very dry periods across the state. The month began with a plethora of thunderstorm events, some of which produced damaging winds and flooding. In contrast, the second half of the month was rather inactive which pushed June below normal for precipitation (1.5-2.5" below average). Though there were a handful of cooler days, the warmth certainly won out with frequent highs in the 80s and 90s, leading to June temperatures being 1-2 degrees above normal.

The first half of June started off very warm with highs frequently in the upper-80s and 90s coupled with numerous showers and thunderstorms marching through the state. Severe storms pushed across much of the area on June 8th, producing damaging winds, some hail and flooding, and several tornadoes. Two of these tornadoes were rated EF-2; one occurring near Tipp City, OH and the other in the Tar Hallow State Park area in Hocking County, OH. 

Although there was a few dry days early on, several locations saw around 6-8 days of rain during the first half of the month. Several lines of strong storms moved through the area on the 13th, which caused significant wind damage (originally classified as a Derecho). Wind damage resulted in numerous power outages that, coinciding with the ongoing heat wave, had a large impact on the region.

A shift in the pattern brought highs back to seasonable levels for the next 10 days through the middle of the month. Little precipitation occurred during this period, with only 1-2 days of measurable rainfall reported. Temperatures returned to the above or well above normal levels during the latter half of the month, with multiple days seeing highs in the mid-to-upper 90s and lows consistently in the mid-70s. Several records for warmest low temperature were set, thanks in part to the humid air mass in place. The closing days of June saw quiet conditions hold and temperatures warm slightly into the low-90s by the end of the month.

*Lead image from NWS Indianapolis.