June 2021 Weather Recap

June Heat Wave for California

The summer heat is on in Northern California, as evident by the mid-June heat wave captured by my AcuRite Atlas® home weather station. While the region saw some upper 90s during our May heat waves, June's heat wave included three days above 100 °F (37.8 °C) from June 16 to June 18. The highest temperature reached 110.0 °F (43.3 °C) on June 17, and the nearby National Weather Service location in Livermore broke a high temperature record with a high of 107 °F (41.6 °C)! Six other Bay Area locations broke high temperature records that day, and the Livermore location tied a high temperature record again on the very next day.

California Fire Danger

This mid-June heat wave event brought increased fire danger with the high temperatures and low humidity, but, fortunately, strong winds did not accompany the system, so rapid fire spread was less of a concern. Unfortunately, fires did pop up at the tail end of this heat wave on June 18 and 19 across Central California, but due to the manageable wind conditions, these fires are already contained and are inactive on the CAL FIRE website.

Later in the month, dry thunderstorm activity sparked multiple fires across Northern California and increased fire danger awareness before the July 4 festivities. Looking at the data in the My AcuRite® app, my AcuRite Atlas recorded over 200 lightning strikes with this event on June 28. The fires associated with this system remain a concern for far Northern California, especially the Tennant Fire in the Klamath National Forest and the Salt Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, as they are only 53% and 20% contained as of July 6, 2021, respectively.

National Drought Monitor

As extremely high temperatures continue spreading from California into the Pacific Northwest, we'll continue to report on the National Drought conditions to watch for areas of increased fire risks throughout the Western states. By comparing the drought conditions from the end of June 2020 to the end of June 2021, you can see the drastic difference and how the Exceptional Drought conditions continue spreading from the Southwestern states into the Pacific Northwest.

Share and Discuss

Is anyone reporting from the Pacific Northwest that can report on the extreme heat event at the end of June? The unprecedented heat is shown in the report below from the region's local NWS office. Wherever you're reporting from, comment below to share and discuss your extreme temperatures, strongest winds, and even rainfall data you've captured during your June weather!