Hoosier Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 In this thread I will post a list of 110F+ days that have been documented in IL/IN/KY/OH/WI/MI from roughly 1890-present. Obviously there are issues with reporting sites going away/being added, relocations, changes in equipment, measuring height etc over the years so bear that in mind. The results are pretty much what you'd expect with a sharp decrease in days as you move north and east, farther away from the source region of brutally hot airmasses. Many of these days occurred in the midst of very significant drought. Much of this data was retrieved from the NCDC website with NOWData also used to fill in some gaps. # of 110+ degree days by state: Illinois: 37 Kentucky: 31 Indiana: 24 Ohio: 9 Wisconsin: 7 Michigan: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Illinois date/highest temp/location of highest temp August 21, 1900 - max temp: 111F, St. John July 11, 1901 - max temp: 112F, Centralia July 21, 1901 - max temp: 112F, Ottawa July 22, 1901 - max temp: 115F, Centralia July 23, 1901 - max temp: 113F, Centralia July 24, 1901 - max temp: 111F, Bushnell August 4, 1918 - max temp: 112F, Hillsboro August 5, 1918 - max temp: 110F, Equality July 27, 1930 - max temp: 110F, multiple locations July 28, 1930 - max temp: 112F, multiple locations August 8, 1930 - max temp: 112F, Du Quoin August 9, 1930 - max temp: 113F, multiple locations July 19, 1934 - max temp: 111F, multiple locations July 20, 1934 - max temp: 113F, multiple locations July 21, 1934 - max temp: 111F, multiple locations July 22, 1934 - max temp: 110F, multiple locations July 23, 1934 - max temp: 113F, multiple locations July 24, 1934 - max temp: 114F, Sparta July 25, 1934 - max temp: 113F, multiple locations August 8, 1934 - max temp: 111F, multiple locations August 9, 1934 - max temp: 113F, La Harpe July 7, 1936 - max temp: 111F, McLeansboro July 8, 1936 - max temp: 110F, Olney July 11, 1936 - max temp: 110F, multiple locations July 12, 1936 - max temp: 115F, Greenville July 13, 1936 - max temp: 113F, multiple locations July 14, 1936 - max temp: 114F, multiple locations July 15, 1936 - max temp: 114F, multiple locations July 16, 1936 - max temp: 111F, Quincy August 17, 1936 - max temp: 111F, Mt. Vernon August 18, 1936 - max temp: 110F, multiple locations August 27, 1936 - max temp: 111F, McLeansboro July 12, 1954 - max temp: 115F, East St. Louis July 14, 1954 - max temp: 117F, East St. Louis July 15, 1954 - max temp: 112F, Jerseyville July 18, 1954 - max temp: 113F, multiple locations July 20, 1954 - max temp: 110F, Quincy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Kentucky date/highest temp/location of highest temp July 22, 1901 - max temp: 111F, Paducah July 23, 1901 - max temp: 112F, Paducah August 10, 1918 - max temp: 110F, Greenville August 11, 1918 - max temp: 111F, multiple locations September 6, 1925 - max temp: 110F, Beaver Dam July 11, 1930 - max temp: 110F, Mayfield July 12, 1930 - max temp: 111F, Lovelaceville July 27, 1930 - max temp: 110F, multiple locations July 28, 1930 - max temp: 114F, Greensburg August 5, 1930 - max temp: 113F, St. John August 6, 1930 - max temp: 113F, St. John August 8, 1930 - max temp: 112F, Lovelaceville August 9, 1930 - max temp: 112F, multiple locations July 22, 1934 - max temp: 110F, Williamstown July 24, 1934 - max temp: 110F, Williamstown July 25, 1934 - max temp: 110F, Williamstown June 29, 1936 - max temp: 110F, St. John July 7, 1936 - max temp: 110F, Henderson July 10, 1936 - max temp: 110F, St. John July 12, 1936 - max temp: 112F, Henderson July 13, 1936 - max temp: 113F, Henderson July 15, 1936 - max temp: 111F, multiple locations July 27, 1952 - max temp: 110F, Princeton July 28, 1952 - max temp: 110F, Murray June 29, 2012 - max temp: 110F, Bowling Green June 30, 2012 - max temp: 111F, Nolin River Lake July 1, 2012 - max temp: 110F, Nolin River Lake July 6, 2012 - max temp: 111F, Nolin River Lake July 7, 2012 - max temp: 110F, multiple locations July 8, 2012 - max temp: 110F, multiple locations July 9, 2012 - max temp: 110F, Nolin River Lake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Indiana date/highest temp/location of highest temp July 22, 1901 - max temp: 112F, Salem July 12, 1914 - max temp: 112F, Shoals July 27, 1930 - max temp: 110F, Freelandville July 28, 1930 - max temp: 113F, Washington July 20, 1934 - max temp: 112F, Collegeville July 21, 1934 - max temp: 113F, Collegeville July 22, 1934 - max temp: 112F, multiple locations July 23, 1934 - max temp: 112F, multiple locations July 24, 1934 - max temp: 112F, Collegeville July 25, 1934 - max temp: 111F, Collegeville July 26, 1934 - max temp: 112F, Salamonia June 29, 1936 - max temp: 111F, multiple locations July 7, 1936 - max temp: 110F, multiple locations July 8, 1936 - max temp: 112F, Collegeville July 9, 1936 - max temp: 110F, Seymour July 10, 1936 - max temp: 112F, Wheatfield July 11, 1936 - max temp: 111F, Wheatfield July 12, 1936 - max temp: 112F, Wheatfield July 13, 1936 - max temp: 113F, multiple locations July 14, 1936 - max temp: 116F, Collegeville July 15, 1936 - max temp: 112F, Seymour August 21, 1936 - max temp: 110F, Seymour August 22, 1936 - max temp: 111F, Seymour August 28, 1936 - max temp: 110F, Shoals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Ohio date/highest temp/location of highest temp July 4, 1897 - max temp: 113F, Thurman August 6, 1918 - max temp: 110F, Amesville July 21, 1934 - max temp: 113F, Gallipolis July 22, 1934 - max temp: 110F, Hamilton July 24, 1934 - max temp: 111F, Hamilton July 25, 1934 - max temp: 112F, Gallipolis July 10, 1936 - max temp: 110F, Bowling Green July 14, 1936 - max temp: 111F, Paulding August 6, 1947 - max temp: 111F, Napoleon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Wisconsin date/highest temp/location of highest temp July 21, 1901 - max temp: 111F, Brodhead July 22, 1901 - max temp: 110F, Prairie du Chien July 7, 1936 - max temp: 110F, Meadow Valley July 11, 1936 - max temp: 110F, Spooner July 12, 1936 - max temp: 113F, Stanley July 13, 1936 - max temp: 114F, Wisconsin Dells July 14, 1936 - max temp: 113F, Wisconsin Dells Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Michigan date/highest temp/location of highest temp July 2, 1911 - max temp: 110F, Bay City July 13, 1936 - max temp: 112F, Mio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 In case anyone was wondering, here are the highest temperatures recorded in each state during the brutal summer of 2012. Kentucky: 111 Illinois: 109 Indiana: 109 Ohio: 107 Michigan: 106 Wisconsin: 106 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michsnowfreak Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Cool data! And notice how the old days rule the roost! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Here is the approximate coverage of 110+ readings on a notoriously hot day in history...July 14, 1936. I tried to reflect some of the nuances but it's not perfect. Almost every site within the 110F area registered 110+ degree temps and a few locations outside the area recorded 110F, such as northern WI/eastern IN/western OH. The 116F in Collegeville, IN is one of just a handful of readings in excess of 115F to be recorded east of the Mississippi River. Selected highs: Collegeville, IN - 116F Mt. Vernon, IL - 114F Shoals, IN - 114F Sparta, IL - 114F Greenville, IL - 113F La Salle, IL - 113F McLeansboro, IL - 113F Wisconsin Dells, WI - 113F Carbondale, IL - 112F Carlinville, IL - 112F Danville, IL - 112F Delphi, IN - 112F Elliston, IN - 112F Freeport, IL - 112F Hancock, WI - 112F Harrisburg, IL - 112F Havana, IL - 112F Lincoln, IL - 112F Palestine, IL - 112F Rockford, IL - 112F Salamonia, IN - 112F Seymour, IN - 112F Veedersburg, IN - 112F Wheatfield, IN - 112F Whitestown, IN - 112F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Here's another very hot day...July 14, 1954. Out of the states focused on in this thread, Illinois was the only state to record temps above 110F. Illinois' all-time record high of 117F occurred on this date at East St. Louis. What makes this event kinda neat is that the hourly obs are available. Here is one showing SPI above 110F: METAR KSPI 142000Z 25014KT 15SM CLR 44/16 A//// RMK SLP068 T04390161 bonus ob from St Louis showing 113F (they hit 115F officially): METAR KSTL 142200Z 22003KT 15SM SCT/// 45/16 A//// RMK SLP068 T04500156 Selected highs from Illinois: East St. Louis - 117F Griggsville - 115F Pana - 115F Hillsboro - 114F Jacksonville - 114F Palestine - 114F Virden - 114F Carlyle - 113F Decatur - 113F Tuscola - 113F Carlinville - 112F Jerseyville - 112F Newton - 112F Quincy - 112F Springfield - 112F Vandalia - 112F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trent Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 It makes you wonder that with today's farming practices and genetically modified drought resistant crops if it's feasible to get some of these temps again. I'd imagine temps this past summer would have been much hotter had the crops been of the same variety as 80+ years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonger Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 It makes you wonder that with today's farming practices and genetically modified drought resistant crops if it's feasible to get some of these temps again. I'd imagine temps this past summer would have been much hotter had the crops been of the same variety as 80+ years ago. I'm not sure what the forest cover in Mio was like when they set the states record high temp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trent Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 I'm not sure what the forest cover in Mio was like when they set the states record high temp. That record would have just been after the lumber industry wiped northern Michigan clear of forests. That area was probably a barren wasteland aiding those ridiculous temps. This part of the state does well in some downsloping heat events, but with mature forests here now you'll never see the temps like that again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonger Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 That record would have just been after the lumber industry wiped northern Michigan clear of forests. That area was probably a barren wasteland aiding those ridiculous temps. This part of the state does well in some downsloping heat events, but with mature forests here now you'll never see the temps like that again. I thought that section was cut in the mid 1800s. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 It makes you wonder that with today's farming practices and genetically modified drought resistant crops if it's feasible to get some of these temps again. I'd imagine temps this past summer would have been much hotter had the crops been of the same variety as 80+ years ago. I've wondered that too. Many places saw their highest temps in years during this past summer (some had their highest since the 1950s or 1930s) but generally speaking the extreme temp records from the Dust Bowl were not broken. It seems reasonable to think that the changes in farming technology could help reduce the chance...then again, if a drought more severe than the Dust Bowl comes along...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddylonglegs Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 110F in Spooner? That is up by Hayward...crazyness... Any temp over 100F is worthless... nothing good about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidwestChaser Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 I remember my grandparents saying that they slept in the park during that 1936 heatwave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyclone77 Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 I've wondered that too. Many places saw their highest temps in years during this past summer (some had their highest since the 1950s or 1930s) but generally speaking the extreme temp records from the Dust Bowl were not broken. It seems reasonable to think that the changes in farming technology could help reduce the chance...then again, if a drought more severe than the Dust Bowl comes along...? I think the crop technology does have an effect, to a point. I think during an extreme drought the negative feedback is reduced however. Once the crops dry out and basically die off in mid summer their impacts on the ambient airmass probably decline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavis1729 Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 Of course North Dakota isn't really in the Midwest...but the 121 degree temp on 7/7/1936 in Steele ND is noteworthy. Can we simply chalk that up to the dust bowl, like so many other temperature records from the 1930s? Either way, it makes you wonder what type of atmospheric set-up could cause such a hot temperature so far north. Source: http://www.minotdail...1.html?nav=5576 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Posted December 12, 2012 Author Share Posted December 12, 2012 Of course North Dakota isn't really in the Midwest...but the 121 degree temp on 7/7/1936 in Steele ND is noteworthy. Can we simply chalk that up to the dust bowl, like so many other temperature records from the 1930s? Either way, it makes you wonder what type of atmospheric set-up could cause such a hot temperature so far north. Source: http://www.minotdail...1.html?nav=5576 Looking at the maps from that day, it looks like they may have had a good downsloping setup (just a guess...I don't know much about the weather out there). That combined with the ambient airmass and drought could be why it got so hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeenerWx Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Indiana date/highest temp/location of highest temp July 22, 1901 - max temp: 112F, Salem July 12, 1914 - max temp: 112F, Shoals July 27, 1930 - max temp: 110F, Freelandville July 28, 1930 - max temp: 113F, Washington July 20, 1934 - max temp: 112F, Collegeville July 21, 1934 - max temp: 113F, Collegeville July 22, 1934 - max temp: 112F, multiple locations July 23, 1934 - max temp: 112F, multiple locations July 24, 1934 - max temp: 112F, Collegeville July 25, 1934 - max temp: 111F, Collegeville July 26, 1934 - max temp: 112F, Salamonia June 29, 1936 - max temp: 111F, multiple locations July 7, 1936 - max temp: 110F, multiple locations July 8, 1936 - max temp: 112F, Collegeville July 9, 1936 - max temp: 110F, Seymour July 10, 1936 - max temp: 112F, Wheatfield July 11, 1936 - max temp: 111F, Wheatfield July 12, 1936 - max temp: 112F, Wheatfield July 13, 1936 - max temp: 113F, multiple locations July 14, 1936 - max temp: 116F, Collegeville July 15, 1936 - max temp: 112F, Seymour August 21, 1936 - max temp: 110F, Seymour August 22, 1936 - max temp: 111F, Seymour August 28, 1936 - max temp: 110F, Shoals Interesting that nine of those high temperatures were recorded in Jasper County. How many stations existed in Indiana circa the 1930's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpartyOn Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 That record would have just been after the lumber industry wiped northern Michigan clear of forests. That area was probably a barren wasteland aiding those ridiculous temps. This part of the state does well in some downsloping heat events, but with mature forests here now you'll never see the temps like that again. Excellent points. But most of the pine forests north of Bay City were leveled in the 1880s. By the 1930s sucsessive regenerated forests were young but around It was not a complete barren waste land as most of the hardwoods were left. But it was a substantial loss. Sad stuff and eventually aided in a ecological disaster of destructive million acre firess that created the public outcry of conservation and forestry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonger Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Excellent points. But most of the pine forests north of Bay City were leveled in the 1880s. By the 1930s sucsessive regenerated forests were young but around It was not a complete barren waste land as most of the hardwoods were left. But it was a substantial loss. Sad stuff and eventually aided in a ecological disaster of destructive million acre firess that created the public outcry of conservation and forestry. Yup, I think by the 1910's the last of the logging in the UP was being done. The lower was pretty much clearcut well before 1890, amazing how nicely it regrew in northern lower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpartyOn Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Yup, I think by the 1910's the last of the logging in the UP was being done. The lower was pretty much clearcut well before 1890, amazing how nicely it regrew in northern lower. Some of the regenerated pine forests are pushing 120-140 yrs old. Best examples are around the pigeon river area in Otsego county and the Huron National forest. But back on topic these woods might not be able to prevent massive heatwaves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoosier Posted December 18, 2012 Author Share Posted December 18, 2012 Interesting that nine of those high temperatures were recorded in Jasper County. How many stations existed in Indiana circa the 1930's? Dozens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoar_Frost Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 Just catching up on some thread reading in this sub-forum this afternoon ... great idea for a thread, Hoosier. This reminded me that I certainly hope never again to experience such a torrid summer as 2012. I do have some comments on the relationship between land cover and extremes. Having dabbled in this as a meteorology undergraduate at Northern Illinois University and talked with Dave Changnon, a professor at NIU who has done research into this, I can say that there is a strong suggestion (documented in the refereed literature) that changes in agricultural practices since the 1930's or so have led to changes in atmospheric moisture levels and, consequently, extreme-temperature climatology. In particular, soybeans and especially corn are efficient at transpiration. Advances in agricultural technology have allowed for soybeans and corn to be planted much more densely than it would have been planted in, say, the 1930's or earlier. Also, at least in the central and upper Midwest, corn and soybeans are planted to the near exclusion of other crops nowadays because of government subsidies and certain other economic factors. Indeed, many years ago, crops like wheat, barley, and oats were raised in northern Illinois. These other crops are not as efficient at transpiration. Furthermore, modern crops are drought-resistant to the extent that they are not generally total failures during most drought situations. That is, even in most droughts in modern times, these crops remain a factor in evapotranspiration. (Of course, this summer put this maxim to the test in many areas.) The net effect of these changes in agriculture has been to allow for a substantial increase in summer-time atmospheric-moisture levels over the corn and bean belts of the Midwest. All else equal, since more moist air has a higher heat capacity than less moist air, it heats up less for a given energy input. This increase in atmospheric moisture may be one explanation (or part of an explanation) for why extreme-high daytime temperatures have been occurring with decreasing frequency in much of the corn and bean belts since the 1930's -- not just temperatures in the 100's and 110's but even temperatures in the 90's. As has been alluded, it is important to realize that there may be other background climate factors at play. As for the lumber boom in Michigan, it peaked around 1890. However, most of these forests were re-planted during the 1930's by workers with the Civilian Conservation Corps (which was a New Deal program). Therefore, most of these areas were quite barren during the 1930's. And, it is a reasonable, supported thesis that this lack of forest cover may have helped to permit temperatures higher than were otherwise possible during the 1930's in portions of Michigan. Indeed, some work in a paper in the refereed literature by Ramankutty and Foley (1989) in the journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles suggests that forest cover is very important to moderating temperatures in much of the eastern United States. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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