Just an average July...

Being the hottest month of the year, when you are growing turf in July, it's never a whole lot of fun.  However, this past month seemed particularly challenging, with hot, dry conditions early, and humid, wet conditions later.

What came as something of a surprise, is that when we closed the books on July, 2018, as a whole, it was pretty darned average.

Yes, below average temps at the end of the month, offset hotter conditions in the beginning, and we finished July less than one half degree above average.  We also ended the month only 5% above average in precipitation.  Golf courses just west of us were not so lucky in the limited rainfall totals.

Another interesting stat is that, even with 16 days in the 90's in the Philadelphia area, as we enter August, we have only had one heat wave this year.  A heat wave is three consecutive days with temperatures in the 90's, so the week straight of 90+ at the end of June and beginning of July still only equaled one heat wave.

Fortunately--sarcasm intended-- it appears that we are now going to get our second official heat wave during early August.  Looking ahead to the middle of this month, with aerification and Master Plan work starting, we really hope that AccuWeather had a glitch on the forecast for the 15th.

One thing is for sure, we won't shed a tear if this is the last heat wave of 2018.  Even the "average" months take their toll.