Both rain and drought far above average in June, NOAA reports

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released its 2014 State of the Climate report for June, which shows that temperatures nationwide last month were slightly above the 20th century average.

Greater extremes were recorded for rainfall and drought in different parts of the country. Minnesota got record precipitation and Nebraska received enough rainfall to pull some areas out of drought status.

But the southwest continues suffering through severe drought conditions. For Arizona, last month was tied for the third-driest June on record. More than one third of the contiguous U.S. is in a drought.