National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

During July of 2012, the combination of dry soils, abundant sunshine, and an unusually strong high pressure system allowed monthly average temperates to climb well-above normal (5 to 8 degrees).  This month was the warmest since July 1955 in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and western Wisconsin.  In addition, there were several locations that experienced their warmest month on record.  This includes the following locations:  Alma Dam 4 (79.5 degrees) Byron, MN (74.5 degrees) Decorah, IA (79.0 degrees) Friendship, WI (76.6 degrees) Gays Mills, WI (78.5 degrees) Genoa Dam 8 (79.8 degrees) Guttenberg Dam 10 (80.0 degrees) La Crescent Dam 7 (80.3 degrees) La Crosse, WI (79.6 degrees) Lone Rock, WI (78.8 degrees) Mather, WI (76.0 degrees) Mauston, WI (78.5 degrees) Minnesota City Dam 5 (80.4 degrees) Necedah, WI (77.7 degrees) Reedsburg, WI (78.1 degrees) Sparta, WI (78.2 degrees) Theilman, MN (76.9 degrees) Winona Dam 5A (78.7 degrees)

The La Crosse, WI record is most impressive, because its records date back the farthest (November 1872) of any in the region.  While Rochester MN did not have their warmest month, their average low temperature of 66.7 degrees did establish a record for the warmest average low temperature for any month.  The previous record was 66.2 degrees in July 1955.

The table below contains the average temperature for July 2012 at various locations in the area and how they relate to the warmest month ever recorded.

Northeast Iowa...

Charles City             78.2 - 6th Warmest Month
                                Warmest since July 1955
                                - 78.7 degrees
Cresco 1NE               78.1 - 3rd Warmest Month
                                Warmest since August 1947
                                - 79.0 degrees
Decorah                  79.0 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                August 1900 - 77.5F
Elkader                  76.2
Fayette                  77.5 - 5th Warmest Month
                                Warmest since August 1947
                                - 78.0 degrees
Guttenberg Dam 10        80.0 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 1955 - 79.8F
Nashua                   77.6 - 2nd Warmest Month
                                Warmest since August 1995
                                - 78.7 degrees
New Hampton              76.7 - 8th Warmest Month
                                Warmest since July 1955
                                - 76.8 degrees
Oelwein 1E               76.7 - 8th Warmest Month
                                Warmest since July 1955
                                - 77.7 degrees
Osage                    77.9 - 3rd Warmest Month
                                Warmest since July 1936
                                - 79.6 degrees

Southeast Minnesota...

Austin WWTP              76.9 - 2nd Warmest Month
                                Warmest since August
                                1947 - 77.4 degrees
Byron                    74.5 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                August 1995 - 74.0F
Caledonia                76.9 - 2nd Warmest Month
                                Warmest since July 1901
                                - 77.3 degrees
Grand Meadow             74.9
La Crescent Dam 7        80.3 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 2011 - 78.4F
Minnesota City Dam 5     80.4 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                August 1995 - 78.1F
Preston                  76.9 - 2nd Warmest Month
                                Warmest since July 1955
                                - 77.3 degrees
Rochester Intl Airport   77.1 - 4th Warmest Month
                                Warmest since July 1955
                                - 77.2 degrees
Theilman                 76.9 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 1983 - 76.1F
Winona Dam 5A            78.7 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 1949 - 77.1F
Zumbrota                 75.8

Western Wisconsin...

Alma Dam 4               79.5 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 2011 - 78.0F
Friendship               76.6 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                June 1933 - 75.8F
Gays Mills               78.5 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 2011 - 75.7F
Genoa Dam 8              79.8 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 1955 - 79.4F
La Crosse Airport        79.6 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 1936 - 79.5F
La Crosse NWS            77.0 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 1999 - 75.4F
Lancaster 4WSW           79.0 - 4th Warmest Month
                                Warmest since July 1936
                                - 81.2 degrees
Lone Rock Tri Co AP      78.8 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 1955 - 77.5F
Lynxville Dam 9          80.2 - 2nd Warmest Month
                                Warmest since
                                August 1947 - 80.4 degrees                      
Mather 3NW               76.0 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 1921 - 75.0F
Mauston 1SE              78.5 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 1916 - 77.5F
Medford                  73.0 - 7th Warmest Month
                                Warmest since August 1947
                                - 73.6 degrees
Necedah 2SE              77.7 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 2002 - 76.2F
Neillsville 3SW          74.6 - 6th Warmest Month
                                Warmest since August 1947
                                - 74.7 degrees
Owen 3W                  72.2 - 5th Warmest Month
                                Warmest since July 2002
                                - 72.5 degrees
Prairie du Chien         79.3 - 5th Warmest Month
                                Warmest since July 2002
                                - 72.5 degrees
Reedsburg                78.1 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 1916 - 78.0F
Richland Center          79.3 - 2nd Warmest Month
                                Warmest since July 1921
                                - 83.3 degrees
Sparta                   78.2 - Warmest Month Ever
                                Previous Record
                                July 1936 - 77.6F
Viroqua                  75.6

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