Friday, June 29, 2012

Triple-Digit Heat Reaches Mid Atlantic/Southeast: Baltimore Broiled, Washington Wilted, South Carolina Scorched, Raleigh Roasted, Charlotte Cooked

July 2 Update: Back from a 46-hour power outage thanks to Baghdad Power and Light, here's the high temperature map for June 29, also from Unisys:




Image (click to enlarge): The U.S. surface temperature map from Unisys at 4 pm, June 29,2012, shows 100° temperatures stretching almost continuously from California eastward to the Carolinas.

5:30 PM Update: Washington Dulles breaks the all-time June temperature record by another degree, with a preliminary high of 102°.

Washington National comes in with a June record of 104°, as noted below.

Charlotte ties the all-time record high temperature:
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 104 DEGREES WAS SET AT CHARLOTTE NC   
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 102 SET IN 1945. THIS ALSO TIES
THE ALL TIME RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES WHICH WAS SET ON AUG 9TH AND
10TH IN 2007, AND SEPTEMBER 6TH IN 1954.
Greenville, South Carolina ties the all-time June record:
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 105 DEGREES WAS SET AT   
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 101
SET IN 1931. THIS ALSO TIES THE ALL TIME RECORD HIGH FOR THE MONTH
OF JUNE WHICH LAST OCCURRED ON THE 20TH OF JUNE IN 1887.
5 PM Update: The period of record at Washington Dulles is relatively short (50 years), but the current 101° breaks the all-time June high temperature record of 100° on June 27, 1964.

The 105° in the current hour at St. Louis would have been enough to tie the all-time June high, but it was already 108° yesterday.

The NWS tweets that Nashville has broken its all-time high temperature record:
"Nashville International has now reached 109 degrees breaking the old all time high set eight minutes ago."

4:30 PM Update: Here's probably the most extreme temperature report today, from the Nashville area roundup (note the asterisk, however):
CITY           SKY/WX    TMP DP  RH WIND       PRES   REMARKS           
BYRDSTOWN* N/A 122 63 15 CALM 28.97S HX 125
* THESE REPORTS ARE NOT UNDER NWS QUALITY CONTROL
4 PM Update: The National Weather Service reports a new all-time June high temperature record for Washington:
A NEW RECORD MONTHLY HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 104 DEGREES HAS BEEN SET AT   
WASHINGTON NATIONAL DC TODAY...JUNE 29TH. THIS SURPASSES THE OLD
RECORD OF 102 DEGREES THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY SET IN 1874 AND 2011.
Bowling Green, Kentucky also reports an all-time June record; Louisville ties the all-time record set yesterday:
SO FAR TODAY THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT BOWLING GREEN HAS REACHED 109   
DEGREES. THIS BREAKS THE RECORD HOTTEST JUNE DAILY
TEMPERATURE...WHICH WAS 108 DEGREES AND ALSO OCCURRED ON THIS DATE
BACK IN 1936.

THE ALL TIME RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR JUNE WAS TIED TODAY AT
LOUISVILLE KY. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE SO FAR IS 103 DEGREES...WHICH
TIES THE PREVIOUS ALL TIME RECORD FOR JUNE OF 103 SET YESTERDAY.
THIS HIGH TEMPERATURES ALSO BREAKS THE RECORD HIGH FOR THIS
DATE...WHICH WAS 102 DEGREES LAST SET BACK IN 1952.
Raleigh has now broken the June record and tied the all-time record:
THE TEMPERATURE AT RALEIGH-DURHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ROSE TO 105   
DEGREES AT 331 PM TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE
OF 101 DEGREES ON THIS DATE... LAST SET IN 1945. THIS ALSO BREAKS
THE ALL-TIME JUNE HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD... LAST SET ON JUN 27 OF
1954. THIS ALSO TIES THE ALL-TIME RECORD HIGH OF 105... LAST SET ON
AUGUST 21 OF 2007.
Columbia, South Carolina breaks its all-time record high temperature:
THE TEMPERATURE THIS AFTERNOON AROUND 3:10 PM REACHED 108 DEGREES AT   
COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT...BREAKING THREE HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS:

1. THE PREVIOUS HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR JUNE 29TH WAS 103
DEGREES SET IN 1936.

2. THE PREVIOUS DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH
OF JUNE (DAYS 1ST THROUGH 30TH) WAS 107 DEGREES SET ON JUNE 27TH IN
1954.

3. THE PREVIOUS ALL-TIME DAILY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE (ON ANY DAY
AND MONTH) IN THE COLUMBIA METRO AREA WAS ALSO 107 DEGREES. THIS WAS
FIRST SET BACK ON JULY 23RD IN 1952...AND SUBSEQUENTLY REACHED ON
FIVE OTHER DATES---THE MOST RECENT OF WHICH WAS AUGUST 10TH IN 2007.
The 107° at 4 pm at Nashville is enough to break the all-time June record of 106° on June 30, 1952 and ties the all-time record high on July 27 and 28, 1952. This is only the 6th time the temperature has exceeded 105° in records dating back to 1873.

Original Post:
Temperatures soared early this afternoon into triple digits across a wide area of the Mid Atlantic and Southeast. By 2 pm, readings were near or at all-time June heat records at several locations. After soaring an amazing 11° to 96° in the hour from 9 to 10 am, Washington, DC hit 102° at 2 pm, tying the all-time June record most recently tied . . . just last year. By the following hour, the temperature reached 103°, a new monthly record.

The official Baltimore observation at BWI Airport was 101°, but at the Maryland Science Center downtown, the 105° at 2 pm would have been enough to tie the all-time June record set on this date in 1934.

At Columbia, South Carolina the 108°F (42.2°C) at 3 pm is unofficially a new all-time June record, exceeding the 107°F on the 27th in 1954.

The 104° at Raleigh at 3 pm unofficially ties the all-time June record, also set on the 27th in 1954, based on National Climatic Data Center records from 1887 through 1944 at downtown Raleigh and since 1944 at RDU Airport.

At Charlotte, North Carolina the 3 pm reading of 103° unofficially ties the all-time June record, set . . . also on the 27th in 1954.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Heat Heads East: June and All-Time Record Highs in Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas

7 PM CDT Update: The updated high temperatures and new all-time June records are 108° at St. Louis and 107° at Columbia, Missouri.

4 PM CDT Update: The 106° so far at Evansville, Indiana is unofficially an all-time June record, surpassing the previous maximum on June 26, 1954 by 2°.

The National Weather Service reports that Louisville, Kentucky also tied the all-time June record high temperature:
THE ALL TIME RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR JUNE...102 DEGREES...WAS   
TIED TODAY AT LOUISVILLE KY. THE LAST TIME THIS TEMPERATURE OCCURRED
WAS ALSO ON JUNE 28TH BACK IN 1944...WHICH MEANS THE RECORD HIGH
TEMPERATURE ALSO WAS TIED FOR THIS DATE.
Little Rock and Harrison, Arkansas broke their all-time June temperature records by 2°:
AT 324 PM CDT...THE OFFICIAL TEMPERATURE AT LITTLE ROCK REACHED 107   
DEGREES...MAKING IT THE HOTTEST JUNE DAY EVER RECORDED IN THE CITY.

THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 105 DEGREES ON JUNE 20 1936...JUNE 29 1988...
AND JUNE 25 2012 /3 DAYS AGO/.

AT 351 PM CDT...THE OFFICIAL TEMPERATURE AT HARRISON REACHED 107
DEGREES...MAKING IT THE HOTTEST JUNE DAY EVER RECORDED IN THE CITY.

THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 105 DEGREES ON JUNE 20 1936.
Original Post:
The record heat wave moved eastward into the Midwest today. All-time high temperature records for any month and for June have already been set or tied at Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, respectively. The 106° Fort Wayne report at 4 pm ties the all-time record high previously observed on 6/25/1988, 7/14/1936, and 7/22/1934. For Indianapolis, the National Weather Service reports:
THE TEMPERATURE HAS RISEN TO 104 DEGREES AT THE INDIANAPOLIS   
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AS OF 301 PM EDT. THIS BREAKS THE RECORD HIGH
TEMPERATURE FOR THE DATE AS WELL AS THE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR
THE MONTH OF JUNE.

THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR JUNE 28 WAS 101...SET IN 1934. THE PREVIOUS
RECORD FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE WAS 102...LAST SET JUNE 25 1988.

IN ADDITION TO SETTING RECORDS FOR THE DAY AND MONTH...THE 104
DEGREES IS THE WARMEST SO EARLY IN THE SEASON FOR THE INDIANAPOLIS
AREA.

THE 104 DEGREES IS ALSO THE WARMEST IN NEARLY 58 YEARS...SINCE IT
WAS LAST 104 DEGREES ON JULY 14 1954.

WITH PLENTY OF SUNSHINE LEFT IN THE DAY...THE TEMPERATURE MAY
CONTINUE TO RISE AND PUSH THE RECORDS EVEN HIGHER. THE ALL-TIME HIGH
TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR THE INDIANAPOLIS AREA IS 106 DEGREES...LAST
SET JULY 14 1936.

WEATHER RECORDS BEGAN IN INDIANAPOLIS IN 1871.
In Missouri, reports so far of 106° so far at both Columbia and St. Louis are new all-time June records:
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 106 DEGREES HAS BEEN REACHED AT COLUMBIA   
REGIONAL AIRPORT TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 103 SET IN 1936.
THIS IS ALSO A NEW ALL-TIME RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF
JUNE FOR COLUMBIA...BREAKING THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 105 DEGREES ON
JUNE 19 1936.

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 106 DEGREES HAS BEEN REACHED AT
ST. LOUIS TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 104 SET IN 1952.
THIS IS ALSO A NEW ALL-TIME RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH
OF JUNE FOR ST. LOUIS...BREAKING THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 105 DEGREES
ON JUNE 25 1952 AND JUNE 19 1936.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Hill City Ties Yesterday's All-Time June High Temperature Record
[Update] All-Time Record Heat Also in Dodge City

8 PM CDT Update: The National Weather Service reports that Springfield, Missouri also tied an all-time June record temperature:
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 101 DEGREES WAS SET AT SPRINGFIELD MO   
TODAY. THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 101 SET IN 1954. THIS ALSO TIES
THE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE.
4:30 PM CDT Update: After tying the all-time record high temperature with 110° yesterday, Dodge City has reached 111°, which breaks the record. The National Weather Service reports, "The record was set in 1998 on June 29th and was tied in 2011 on June 26th. Records for Dodge City date back to September 15th 1874."

Original Post:
The report of 115°F (46.1°C) in the current hour at Hill City, Kansas ties yesterday's all-time June record high temperature. This is the 5th consecutive day of 110°+ temperatures at Hill City. The precipitation so far this month of 0.42" is only 17% of the June average in this drought-stricken region of the High Plains. Hot and dry conditions are expected to continue through the remainder of the summer.

NWS Briefing: High Plains Heat, Drought Likely to Persist Through Rest of Summer

A video briefing today from the National Weather Service reviews the current drought and excessive heat in the High Plains region and the prospects for the rest of the summer:


9 All-Time Record Hot Temperatures Across 4 States

According to this morning's preliminary reports from the National Climatic Data Center, 4 all-time record high temperatures were set on June 26, and 5 more were tied. Locations ranged from Texas through Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado. New records were:
State   Location             Temperature   Old Record  Period of record
CO COLORADO SPGS MUNI AP 101 100 6/24/2012 71
CO EVERGREEN 97 96 7/9/2003 52
NE MC COOK 115 114 7/20/1932 104
NE SIDNEY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT 111 109 6/25/2012 47
Tied records:
CO      DENVER INTL AP           105     105 6/25/2012  30
CO WHEAT RIDGE 2 103 103 7/1/1990 32
KS CEDAR BLUFF DAM 110 110 7/15/2003 64
KS DODGE CITY RGNL AP 110 110 6/26/2011 69
TX JUNCTION FAA AP 108 108 8/28/2011 78

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

More High Plains High Heat: Yet Another All-Time June Temperature Record;
Dust Bowl Era Extremes Fall


Image (click to enlarge): June 26, 2012 high temperature records, from National Weather Service

7 PM MDT Update: A preliminary report from the National Weather Service confirms the Goodland record high of 110° at 2:53 pm, eclipsing the old daily record of 107° in 1971.

The 115° high temperature is a new all-time June record at Hill City, where records began in 1896; it smashes the old daily record of 110° in 1980.

Also in Kansas, Dodge City (110°) and Garden City (108°) tied records set just last year.

Russell, Kansas hit 112°, breaking the record of 108° in 1980.

Burlington, Colorado also crushed a record with 106°, exceeding the 102° in 1990.

The prize for excessive record margin goes to McCook, Nebraska, where the 115° high was 12° above the old record of 103° in 1998. McCook climate records began in 1896.

Original post:
Goodland, Kansas (elevation 3656 ft) in the latest hour (3 pm MDT) has reported a temperature of 110°F (43.3°C). This breaks the all-time June high temperature record tied just 2 days ago and originally set in 1936. It is also tied for the second warmest all-time temperature at Goodland. The previous top 10 temperatures:
1.  111  Jul 25, 1940    
2. 110 Aug 04, 1947
3. 110 Jul 24, 1940
4. 110 Jul 25, 1936
5. 110 Jul 24, 1936
6. 110 Jul 23, 1936
7. 109 Jul 20, 2005
8. 109 Jul 20, 1939
9. 109 Jun 18, 1936
10. 108 Jul 04, 1964
Yesterday's high of 107° also set a daily high, breaking another 1936 record of 104° which was tied in 1990. Goodland climate records date back to 1895.

Monday, June 25, 2012

All-Time Record High Temperature at Denver

The National Weather Service reports that today's high temperature ties the all-time record high temperature and breaks the June monthly record at Denver:
AT 334 PM MDT...THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 105 DEGREES AT DENVER
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THIS READING TIES THE ALL TIME RECORD HIGH
TEMPERATURE IN DENVER...ALSO REACHED ON JULY 20 2005 AND AUGUST 8
1878.

THIS MARK ALSO BREAKS THE ALL TIME JUNE RECORD HIGH OF 104
DEGREES...AS WELL AS THE OLD RECORD OF 100 DEGREES FOR THIS DATE OF
100 DEGREES SET IN 1991.
Record daily high temperatures were also set earlier this month (old record in parentheses):
June 24  102 (100, 2007)
June 23 104 (102, 1954)
June 22 102 (98, 1874)
June 18 100 (99, 1990)
June 9 95 (tie, 2002)
June 4 94 (93, 2010)

Record June Heat at Little Rock

The National Weather Service reports that the high temperature today at Little Rock Adams Field smashed the old daily record by 4°:
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 105 DEGREES WAS SET AT LITTLE ROCK ADAMS FIELD TODAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 101 SET IN 1998.
According to National Climatic Data Center reports from the city location at the State Capitol until 1942 and since then at the airport, this ties the all-time June temperature record for Little Rock on the 20th in 1936 and the 29th in 1988.

High Heat in High Plains: All-Time June Temperature Records in Western Kansas

The National Weather Service reports that all-time June high temperature records were tied or broken in western Kansas on Sunday, June 24:
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 109 DEGREES WAS SET AT GOODLAND KANSAS
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 107 DEGREES SET IN 1971. IN
ADDITION...TODAY`S HIGH TIES THE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE
MONTH OF JUNE...SET ON JUNE 18, 1936.

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 114 DEGREES WAS SET AT HILL CITY KANSAS
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 108 DEGREES SET IN 1971. IN
ADDITION...TODAY`S HIGH TIES THE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE
MONTH OF JUNE...SET ON JUNE 30, 1933.

AN UNOFFICIAL RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 109 DEGREES WAS SET AT
TRIBUNE KANSAS TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 107 DEGREES SET
IN 1971. IN ADDITION...TODAY`S HIGH TIES THE RECORD HIGH
TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE AS WELL AS THE ALL TIME RECORD
HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR ANY DATE...BOTH OF THESE RECORDS WERE SET
YESTERDAY...JUNE 23.

AN UNOFFICIAL RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 111 DEGREES WAS SET AT
COLBY KANSAS TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 107 DEGREES SET
IN 1943. IN ADDITION...TODAY`S HIGH SET A NEW RECORD HIGH
TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE...WHICH PREVIOUSLY WAS 109 DEGREES
SET ON JUNE 15, 1946.
More daily records were set today:
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 107 DEGREES WAS SET AT GOODLAND KANSAS
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 104 DEGREES SET IN 1990.

A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 111 DEGREES WAS SET AT HILL CITY KANSAS
TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 108 DEGREES SET IN 1911.

AN UNOFFICIAL RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 106 DEGREES WAS SET AT YUMA
COLORADO TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 103 DEGREES SET IN
1990.

AN UNOFFICIAL RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 106 DEGREES WAS TIED AT
TRIBUNE KANSAS TODAY. THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 106 DEGREES SET
IN 1971.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Weekly Weather Wee View: 28th Consecutive Warm Week



Preliminary data from 214 National Weather Service stations indicate that the 48-state contiguous U.S. average temperature was above normal for the 28th consecutive week in the 7 days ending yesterday (June 23). Once again, the Pacific Northwest and Southeast were relatively cool, but the heat intensified in a broad range from the Southwest through the middle of the country to the Mid Atlantic and Northeast.

The weekly unadjusted average was 3.2°F above the 1981-2010 climatology, up from 1.8°F the previous week. This brings the June average to date to slightly under 2°F warmer than normal.

The warmest locations were Colorado Springs, Colorado (CO-COS) and Chicago, Illinois (IL-ORD) at +11°F and the coolest was Key West, Florida (FL-EYW) at -5°F. Only 16% of locations were cooler than average.

Images (click to enlarge):
- Weekly average U.S. temperature departures from normal, weeks ending June 4, 2011 (20110604) through June 23, 2012 (20120623); CapitalClimate chart from NOAA/NCDC data
- Weekly average NWS station temperature departures from normal, week ending June 23, 2012; stations listed alphabetically by state and 3-character station identifier; CapitalClimate chart from NWS data
- Weekly average U.S. temperature departures from normal for past 4 weeks and June to date; CapitalClimate chart from NWS data
- Average U.S. temperature and departure from normal for week ending June 23, 2012 from High Plains Regional Climate Center

Seasonal Outlook

Latest seasonal forecast: Click here.


Latest 3-month temperature outlook from Climate Prediction Center/NWS/NOAA.