June 2020 finished well above normal across the board temperature-wise, anywhere from 2 to 7 degrees on a whole. A number of daily records were set this month including numerous record warm lows at Aberdeen, Watertown, Pierre and Sisseton ranging between 64 and 73 degrees from the 1^st through the 17^th, as well as a number of daily record warm highs: 95 F in Aberdeen on the 7^th (95 in 1959), 94 F in Sisseton on the 1^st (93 in 1940) and 99 F in Sisseton on the 7^th (95 in 1959). Regarding the month as a whole, several locations recorded top-10 warm Junes on record: 9^th place in Timber Lake with 70.3 F (76.7 in 1988), 7^th place in Mobridge with 72.8 F (78.6 in 1911), 6^th place in Wheaton with 71.6 F (75.4 in 1988), 5^th place in Aberdeen with 72.5 F (79.1 in 1933) and 5^th place in Sisseton with 71.7 F (75.4 in 1933).

Numerous rounds of thunderstorms across the area made for lob-sided monthly precipitation totals. Generally speaking, north central South Dakota and eastern South Dakota finished the month below average, while portions of the James Valley and portions of central South Dakota finished above average. Moderate drought conditions have remained largely unchanged from the beginning of the month to the end, with a pocket near Corson County in North Dakota and also across west central Minnesota. Meanwhile, abnormally dry conditions have expanded to include more of east central South Dakota as well as portions of central/north central South Dakota. June 2020 finished as the 4^th driest on record at Timber Lake with a total of 0.76” (0.54” in 1956). Just 0.22” of moisture had been recorded up until the 28^th of the month.

Thunderstorms became severe on several days this June, with the most significant and/or widespread events occurring on the 4^th (https://www.weather.gov/abr/June42020SevereWinds), 6^th and 7^th (https://www.weather.gov/abr/June6_8_2020_SevereWx). The National Weather Service office in Aberdeen issued a total of 88 severe thunderstorm warnings across our forecast area this June, which is the second highest total since records began in 1986 (95 in 2008). An additional 4 tornado warnings were issued. A total of 42 severe/tornado warnings were issued on the 7^th, which is the 3^rd most on any single calendar day for our office since 1990 (the most, 44, were issued on Aug 10, 2016).  

June 2020 temperature departure from normal, from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center

June 2020 precipitation totals (left) and departures from normal (right), from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center

US Drought Monitor as of July 2, 2020

The number of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings (left) and Tornado Warnings (right) issued by the NWS in Aberdeen by month since 1986. Information from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet.