Tropical Storm Isaias douses Vermont's hot, dry summer — for now

A flash-flood watch is effect for most of Vermont, beginning Tuesday afternoon and extending through Wednesday morning.

Streams in the area are expected to rise sharply as the remnants of Tropical Storm Isaias soak the region, the National Weather Service said Monday.

Paved-over urban areas with poor drainage will be vulnerable to flooding, as will land along narrow watercourses and steep terrain, the weather service added.

Up to 4 inches of rain is predicted for parts of the state.

Why July was different than normal weather

July, on the other hand, saw fields, gardens and lawns parched by abnormally hot and dry weather.

Last month's roundup, from data gathered at Burlington International Airport:

• Average temperature (76.8) was 6.2 degrees above normal — and the highest average since 1980.
• Rainfall total (2.45 inches) was 41 percent lower than normal.
• Sixteen days topped out at 87 or higher; nine of them were 90 and above.

June was a scorcher, too: more than 3 degrees hotter than average, with less than half the normal rainfall.

Vermont was in warm company for the first half of 2020. 

The average temperature for the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, from January through June was 50 degrees, 2.4 degrees above normal. It was the eighth-warmest January-to-June period on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Water levels in Lake Champlain reflect June and July's hot, dry weather: Visitors to the waterfront can spot sandbars and reefs that are normally submerged.

HOT FORECAST:Heat poses risks to all ages, health officials warn

HEAT ADVISORY:National Weather Service issues heat advisory for Burlington area 

DRY SPELL:Despite recent cloudbursts, Champlain Valley remains in a dry spell

RECORD WARMTH:Lake Champlain water temperature warms to June record

HEAT WAVE?:Burlington hits 90 degrees for the first time in 2020

SUMMER WARNING:Cyanobacteria thrive in warm, shallow ponds and lakes

The Champlain Valley dodged another weather anomaly, though. A tornado watch issued Sunday afternoon yield no sightings, said Nichole Hammond, a South Burlington-based meteorologist with the National Weather Servic

Contact Joel Banner Baird at 802-660-1843 or joelbaird@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @VTgoingUp.

This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a subscription to the Burlington Free Press.