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July Heat Wave Obs/Discussion


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Yeah. Almost makes you wonder if we aren't heading into another period like the 1930s. Last summer was the fifth warmest on record nationally, with 12 states and the District of Columbia recording their hottest summers on record. This July has been historically hot too -- looking at the current departures and forecasts, I think we will be very close to the record set in 1936. Oregon and Washington look like the only states that will be below normal. Much of the rest of the country is much above normal, and Oklahoma and some surrounding states will be near record warm Julys.

As for lower Michigan, I plugged in the current monthly highs/lows/mean for Detroit Metro Wayne Airport and Flint Bishop International Airport, with the NWS point-click forecast for the next week. Here's the figures that gives:

DTW 89.6/69.5/79.5

FNT 89.5/65.7/77.6

Here's how that stacks up to the hottest years. So, through the 25th (if the NWS is right and their forecast does seem very reasonable), this would be the hottest month on record at Detroit, leading July 1955 and 1921 by 0.5 degrees, and the third hottest month at Flint, trailing only July 1921 and 1935 (although easily the hottest since records have been kept at the airport).

DTW

2011 79.5

1955 79.0

1921 79.0

1916 77.9

1931 77.7

FNT

1921 78.0

1935 77.7

2011 77.6

1934 76.7

1955 76.5

Interesting note about the 1930's...those winters were very warm and crazy was the summer of 1936 with the heat but that winter became for some places even today, a benchmark for cold weather. A met in STL has been talking about us entering a pattern the next 2 to 4 years reminiscant of the 1930's as well. We shall see but was an interesting decade to say the least. Just wonder if that drought out west is beginning to trend further NE with time. Todays monthly euro hinted at a dry fall right over us and for winter says norm right now....but that should change a lot over the coming months.

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Interesting note about the 1930's...those winters were very warm and crazy was the summer of 1936 with the heat but that winter became for some places even today, a benchmark for cold weather. A met in STL has been talking about us entering a pattern the next 2 to 4 years reminiscant of the 1930's as well. We shall see but was an interesting decade to say the least. Just wonder if that drought out west is beginning to trend further NE with time. Todays monthly euro hinted at a dry fall right over us and for winter says norm right now....but that should change a lot over the coming months.

The summer of 1936 by far had the worst heatwave, probably ever, to hit the midwest. Detroit had 7 consecutive days over 100F and 9 on the summer total, something unmatched before or since. However, in JJA mean temp, 1936 ironically was the 2nd "least hot" summer of the decade, behind only 1935! The winter of 1935-36 was cold, not 1936-37. In fact 1936-37 was notorious for its low snow across much of the U.S., still stands as Detroits all time least snowy winter (12.9"), and I believe a slew of other cities from the midwest to east coast have that winter as their alltime low as well.

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The temps has gradually risen over the past couple of hours, now 80F at DTW, with increasing Dewpoints.

MKE is brutal with 88/80/105 at 10PM.

Wow, 105 degree heat index at 10 PM... and they are only under a heat advisory. I see RFD is at 84/79. With such a high dewpoint, I'd imagine the all-time record high min of 80 is in danger. The low was 79 there today. A little convective debris could help keep temps up too.

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If we can keep the cloud debris away tomorrow we should be able to make about 97. Clouds much of today kept us a few degrees cooler than what we would have been. Wednesday looks the hottest. May make a run at 100. Thursday looks dicey with the cool front settling south. Wouldn't go for anything higher than low to mid 90s that day unless the timing of the front slows.

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Wow, 105 degree heat index at 10 PM... and they are only under a heat advisory. I see RFD is at 84/79. With such a high dewpoint, I'd imagine the all-time record high min of 80 is in danger. The low was 79 there today. A little convective debris could help keep temps up too.

I think Cromartie (Tropical) must have been doing those readings. On the obs page, temps and dew points in neighboring locations were/are consistently 5-10 degrees lower. Perhaps it's just the urban heat island effect.

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I think Cromartie (Tropical) must have been doing those readings. On the obs page, temps and dew points in neighboring locations were/are consistently 5-10 degrees lower. Perhaps it's just the urban heat island effect.

Temp maybe but I don't know about the dewpoint. If anything you'd expect the dewpoint to run higher in the heavy crop areas which I'm guessing the MKE airport is not.

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I think Cromartie (Tropical) must have been doing those readings. On the obs page, temps and dew points in neighboring locations were/are consistently 5-10 degrees lower. Perhaps it's just the urban heat island effect.

Temp is probably more UHI.

DP difference is due to a boundary pushing southwest through the area. Latest OBS has a dp of 73.

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ORD back up to 79. You gonna do an all nighter on the 80 degree dewpoint watch? :drunk:

I probably would if needed... It's the Summer version of waiting for rain to turn to snow, you wait but it never happens. :arrowhead:

Boundary pushing through Waukegan now, so time is running out.

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I probably would if needed... It's the Summer version of waiting for rain to turn to snow, you wait but it never happens. :arrowhead:

Boundary pushing through Waukegan now, so time is running out.

Yeah, it just feels like one of those times that will come up short.

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ORD only had a low of 80 early this morning.

If that stands it will be a record for the date (78/1942) and the first 80+ low since 8/1/06.

RECORD EVENT REPORT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL

0133 AM CDT TUE JULY 19 2011

..RECORD WARM LOW TEMPERATURE SET AT CHICAGO-OHARE IL MONDAY

A RECORD WARM LOW TEMPERATURE OF 80 DEGREES WAS SET AT CHICAGO-OHARE

MONDAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 78 DEGREES SET IN 1942. THIS

ALSO MARKS ONLY THE SECOND TIME SINCE THE DEADLY 1995 HEAT WAVE THAT

THE LOW TEMPERATURE AT CHICAGO-OHARE HAS ONLY FALLEN TO 80

DEGREES...AND ONLY THE 6TH TIME THAT A LOW TEMPERATURE OF 80 OR

WARMER HAS BEEN RECORDED SINCE THE OFFICIAL RECORDING STATION WAS

MOVED TO OHARE BACK IN 1980.

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