Monday, July 25, 2016

Heat, Heat, and More Heat

The summer from hell is here.  Other than a brief cold surge earlier in July, this summer has largely been characterized by sustained warmth.  We are in a dead heat with 2013 for hottest on record.

Source: NOAA Regional Climate Centers
Temperatures this afternoon at the Salt Lake City Airport reached 100 degrees for the 8th time this year, and here's the forecast for the rest of the work week.


Looking for snow?  Good luck.  Here's the view above Big Cottonwood yesterday.  Sad.

 

2 comments:

  1. Brutal here in Columbia SC as well. June was the 6th warmest in the record, and July looks to be running away with first, no relief in sight as our forecast is similar to yours but with warmer nights. Our last day with a below average daily mean temperature was June 20, and no end in sight.

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  2. Any thoughts on why these heat waves occur, and their relationship to climate change. I always go back to July 13, 2002 when daytime high at the airport was 107, the record. That year the 31 days from June 24 to July 24 had 24 days (77%) above 95 and 11 days (35%) above 100. Five days in a row, July 11 to July 15 were above 100. Casual observation is when there is extended high pressure and a consequent stable air mass that remains in place during July, Salt Lake highs go above 95 for weeks on end, and above 100 for days on end. Is there more to it than that? It's normal to have high pressure extending for a few weeks several times a year: in winter that means inversion, in July that means 100+. Carbon build-up leads to less night-time cooling, hence the record high overnight lows this year, right? This summer seems like it might beat 2002 for days over 100, but given the sun is rising later and setting earlier every day, doesn't seem likely we will approach 107. Any thoughts on what it takes for Salt Lake to hit 110?

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