This past June was among the coolest on record in North Carolina, according to data from the National Weather Service.
The average daily high temperature in the state last month was 71 degrees, making it the state’s coolest June since 1997.
“We kind of saw this unusual pattern for late spring and early summer, an area of low pressure aloft, over the eastern U.S., eastern Canada," says Barrett Smith with the National Weather Service in Raleigh. "And that influenced our weather here in North Carolina.”
Smith says those conditions resulted in a generally cooler atmosphere and more cloud cover throughout the month.
The tides have quickly turned though. By early July, parts of the state were experiencing record-high overnight temperatures. Smith says that kind of quick switch sets off alarm bells for forecasters.
“We have seen in the past periods of that when it's been a little cooler than normal or near normal, and then the heat comes on and we see a lot more people going to the hospital or being impacted by the heat," he says.
Barrett noted heat indices this weekend could reach the lower 100s, likely triggering heat advisories.