June weather warmer, drier than normal

June on Long Island was warmer and drier than normal, the National Weather Service said Saturday.

Rainfall was measured at 2.75 inches last month at Islip, an inch below average, records show.

"There's nothing to really indicate that this particular June was extreme in any way," said David Stark, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Upton. "We had several days with cloud cover and that could've contributed to the milder temperatures last month."

After a long, snowy winter, the slightly drier June didn't hamper the growth of lush, green shrubs and lawns, all of which contributed to a nasty spring for allergy sufferers.

In June 2009, the region received more than 7 inches of rain -- the dampest June in the past five years and also the coolest, with an average mean temperature of 65.5 degrees, Stark said.

Last month, the average was 71.9 degrees. The historic average for Long Island is 68.5 degrees, the weather service said.

Looking ahead, high temperatures will be in the mid-80s through the Fourth of July weekend and the following week, with scattered thunderstorms.

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Based on climate predication data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, meteorologist John Murray said Long Island should be in for a normal July.

The average mean temperature for July is 75 degrees, and the month usually brings less than 3 inches of rain.

Of course, Murray doesn't rule out a wave of grueling, 100-degree days this summer either.

"It is common to have a heat wave in the summer," he reminded. "But it varies. No summer is ever the same."