A Remarkable Run of Minimum Temperatures

When it is hot, it is the maximum temperatures that tend to get our attention, but the minimum temperatures are also important for health and comfort.  When afternoons are hot and uncomfortable, a good cool off overnight or from a thunderstorm can help cool off the house or apartment and make living more bearable.

Unfortunately, the current heat wave has featured not only high maximum temperatures, but also high minimum temperatures.  This can be seen in the National Weather Service graphs below, which show bars of the observed temperature range (minimum to maximum temperatures) each day in June and July compared to the average (green color fill) and records (top and bottom edge of red and blue denote record maximums and minimums, respectively).

Source: NWS

There has not been a below average minimum temperature at the Salt Lake City airport since June 23rd.  The closest was on July 14, when we had a minimum temperature of 66ºF, compared to an average for the day of 65ºF.  The streak will reach a full month on Tuesday.