DONNIE'S HEAT COMPLAINTS ARE JUSTIFIED

The National Weather Service says 2011 was the driest year ever recorded in Texas and it was the second hottest year ever (the hottest was in 1921).

And the worst news, of all, is that the current drought that grips the state will continue, at least, into June.

WE DID IT!!

Image by FlamingText.com 

At 3:00 PM the temperature was 51 in La Crosse.  That beats the old record of 47 which was set back in 1946.

SOME WEATHER HISTORY

On November 1, 1933 the temperature rose to 80 degrees in La Crosse.  That's the latest 80 degree reading even taken here and it's also the warmest November temperature ever recorded in La Crosse.

WE COULD SEE OUR FIRST FREEZE THURSDAY NIGHT

We shouldn't hear any whining, from Donnie, about Texas heat today.  Highs in Austin will be in the mid-70's this afternoon.

ANOTHER WARM DAY BUT COOLER WEATHER IN SIGHT

Streak Of 80s Continues
High temperatures across the area this weekend made it into the lower to middle 80s as abundant sunshine and southerly winds prevailed. Rochester, MN set a record high temperature with 84 degrees on Friday, while La Crosse tied their record on Saturday with 83 degrees. Temperatures climbed into the upper 70s to lower 80s Sunday, and will make it into the upper 70s to lower 80s today.

It is somewhat unusual to have highs in the 80s this late in the season since the days are becoming shorter and the sun angle is getting lower on the horizon. The average last occurrence of a high temperature of 80 degrees or warmer is September 30th at Rochester and October 2nd at La Crosse. The latest occurrence of an 80 degree or warmer reading is Oct 29th, 1950 at Rochester (80), and the 1st of November, 1933 at La Crosse (80).

More interesting temperature facts: At Rochester, the maximum temperature has now reached 80 degrees or higher for 7 consecutive days (October 3-9). This is longest stretch of 80 degree or higher days in October since records began in 1886 (previous record stretch was 4 days set in 1947 and 2010). At La Crosse, the current streak is 5 (October 5-9), while the record is 7 consecutive days (October 2-8, 1997).

Cooler temperatures will invade the region on Tuesday as a slow moving cold front makes its way eastward through the Upper Midwest, eventually bringing to an end the unseasonably warm temperatures.

HOT AND DRY TEXAS ISN'T ALONE THIS YEAR.

It's always hot and dry in Phoenix but this summer was hotter than it has ever been since they started keeping records. And, it's been dryer than is usually is too.

I'M ALREADY SHIVERING

Donnie said, "Today will be our 90th this year at 100+ degrees. Imagine, that's 25% of the year at triple digits. I guess the equivalent in La Crosse would be for the temp to hit 0 degrees on January 1, then hit 0 every day until May Day!"

RECORD BREAKER TOMORROW???

Back in 1913, on the first of September it got up to 98 in La Crosse, That record has held for the first of September ever since.  The National weather Service says there's a good chance we could break that record tomorrow.

WEATHER

HIGH HEAT

STILL IN THE FORECAST

It's almost impossible to believe that after the beautiful weather we've had the past few days it's going to get miserably hot again. The forecast for tomorrow still calls for highs close to the record of 98 tomorrow with heat indices as high as 102.  It's just going to be a one day thing.  Friday highs will be back in the mid 80s. 

WEATHER

TEXAS HEAT: Donnie reports...
"The actual official temperature right now (3 p.m.) is 109.  Our back porch thermometer reads 117 (in the shade)."

WEATHER

Willard reports on Houston heat:
"Record high yesterday: 109."

HEAT

HOT AND GETTING HOTTER
Then cooler??
Donnie says:
"The worst is yet to come--forecast highs for Sat & Sun 107.  But the first week of September the highs may drop into 80s, first time below 90 in more than three months.

HEAT

RECORD UPDATE FROM DONNIE
"I thought we had passed the triple-digit record some time ago but we only set it today.  This is our 70th day in the 100's.  There are still many more in the long-range forecast."

HEAT

WILLARD COMMENTS ON THE HEAT
"The same heat advisory continues.  My electric bill, for the A/C, keeps going up, up, up...just like the temperature."

HEAT

Donnie says:
"I am surprised Houston is so much "cooler" than Austin.  A mere 32 days over 100?  We have passed 60 days at 100 or more and many more to come.  This is already a record year here too."

Historic weather conditions abound!

NOAA: Heat wave leads to fourth warmest July on record for the U.S.

Persistent, scorching heat in the central and eastern regions of the United States shattered long-standing daily and monthly temperature records last month, making it the fourth warmest July on record nationally, according to scientists at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center. The heat exacerbated drought conditions, resulting in the largest “exceptional” drought footprint in the 12-year history of the U.S. Drought Monitor. “Exceptional” is the most severe category of drought on the drought monitor scale. Drought conditions at several locations in the South region are not as long lived, but are as dry, or drier, than the historic droughts of the 1930s and 1950s.
The average U.S. temperature in July was 77.0 degrees F, which is 2.7 degrees F above the long-term (1901-2000) average. Precipitation, averaged across the nation, was 2.46 inches. This was 0.32 inch below the long-term average, with large variability between regions. This monthly analysis, based on records dating back to 1895, is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides.

July 2011 temperature "divisional rank" maps.
High resolution (Credit: NOAA)

U.S. climate highlights – July

• Oklahoma and Texas had their warmest months ever on record, with average temperatures of 88.9 degrees F and 87.1 degrees F, respectively. Oklahoma's statewide average temperature was the warmest monthly statewide average temperature on record for any state during any month.
• 41 of the lower 48 states had above-normal, much-above-normal, or a record warmest July. Only seven of the lower 48 states – all west of the Rockies – experienced a July average temperature near or below the 20th century average.
• The South climate region -- Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas -- had its warmest single calendar month for any climate region on record.
• The average temperature of 86.1 degrees F, bested the previous all-time record of 85.9 set in July 1980 in the South climate region.
• Dallas exceeded 100 degrees F on 30 of the 31 days in July. In Oklahoma City, July was the warmest single calendar month, with an average temperature of 89.2, beating the previous record of 88.7 degrees F set in August 1936. Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport had its warmest single calendar month on record, with an average temperature of 84.5 degrees F, breaking the previous record of 83.1 degrees F set in July 2010 and July 1993.
• The July heat wave was characterized by unusually warm minimum temperatures, during nights and early mornings. This is typical of U.S. heat waves in the last decade, and consistent with increasing warm summer nighttime extremes observed across much of the country since the late 20th century.
• Wetter-than-normal conditions occurred along parts of the Gulf Coast, all of the Pacific Coast, and much of the upper Midwest. California tied for its fifth wettest July. Other states that were abnormally wet in July included: Utah (6th wettest), Wyoming (9th), and South Dakota (10th). At the same time, July offered no relief to the parched soils of Texas and Oklahoma where it was the second (tied) and ninth driest July on record, respectively.
• Exceptional drought, as defined by the U.S. Drought Monitor, covers more than 75 percent of Texas (201,436 sq mi). Drought conditions are so harsh in some locations that it would take as much as 20 inches of precipitation in one month to end the drought. In Oklahoma, 100 percent of the state is suffering from moderate-exceptional drought compared to the beginning of the water year (9/28/2010), when drought conditions covered only four percent of the state.

At 4:00 P.M. Willard wrote:

"Heat Index...112....This is REALLY GETTING OLD!"

In Austin the real temperature was 102.  No word from Donnie and Linda.  I hope they're not cooked.

I'm almost ashamed to admit that, at the same time, it was a lovely 78 here in La Crosse.

Willard sent an interesting news story.

Normally, Houston has about 200 breaks, a day, in the water pipes around the city.  This year, with the drought, they're experiencing around 700 breaks a day.

Now, you're going to say that can't be right.  They couldn't possibly have that many breaks a day.  Houston is a huge city, covering more than 800 square miles.  No.  that's not a mistake either.  That means Houston has a total of 7000 miles of water pipes.

Anyway, we know that freezing causes pipes to break up here but, SURPRISE!  Hot weather causes pipes to break too.  The extreme heat causes increased water usage which builds extra pressure inside the pipes.  The dry soil shrinks away from the pipes allowing them to break.

You learn something new every day!

DROUGHT REPORT FROM DONNIE:

"Tomorrow should set some kind of record.  It will be the 30th consecutive day over 100 and the 60th day, so far this year, at 100 or more.  Keep in mind; the historical annual average of days over 100 is just 12!!!"

EAT YOUR HEART OUT, TEXAS FOLKS!

At 4:00 P.M. Willard said it was 100 in Houston with a heat index of 108.  I, of course, had to rub it in by telling him it was a delightful 74 here, in good old La Crosse, with no humidity to speak of.