News Photo by Steve Schulwitz A group of kids try to beat the heat on Thursday by eating ice cream from Scoops in downtown Alpena. Temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-80s though the weekend before a light cool down happens.

ALPENA — Last month was about 1.5 degrees warmer than average, compared to the long-term average, but the Alpena area received more rain than the typical July.

Preliminary data released by the National Weather Service on Thursday shows six consecutive days of temperatures above 80 degrees pushed the average temperature for July to 69.8 degrees, which is 1.6 degrees warmer than the norm.

The average high temperature for last month was 81 degrees and the average cold temperature was 58.6 degrees.

The warm weather Alpena has had the last week or so is expected to remain over the weekend before a cool spell moves into the area that will be in the mid-70s.

The highest temperature recorded at the Alpena County Regional Airport was 91 degrees on July 15. The lowest temperature was on July 1 when temperatures dipped to 47 degrees during the overnight hours.

For the month, Alpena received 4.98 inches of precipitation, which is nearly two inches above the long-term average.

A brunt of the rain came on July 24 and July 25 when about 2.75 inches of rain fell in about 48 hours.

According to the extended forecast, the National Weather Service predicts more summer weather over the weekend, with Saturday expected to peak at about 86 degrees. There is no significant chance of rain for the next 10 days.

Beginning Monday, temperatures will begin to fall into the mid-70s and remain that way for about two weeks, meaning people will still have time to spend at the beach or on their boat before the kids return to school.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.