LibertyBell

But the average high is up there too isn't it-- I think you posted a table showing it's the second hottest (going by high temperatures) right behind 2010? And that the July mean temperature at JFK is very close to 80.0?

yes my first year viewing the perseid meteor shower (I forget which year, either 1986 or 1987) it got down close to 50 at night with clear skies and felt like early fall, zero haze too.

thanks Tony, out of those I think 1993, 1999, 1983, 2010 and 1991 all had at or above 30 90+ degree days, were there any others?

Yes it's really hard to do a top 5 you have to weigh them by some system (so you end up having to do math anyway haha). Basically I'm looking for years that have at least 30 90+ degree days (there's not that many of them), at least 5 95+ degree days and at least 1 100+ degree day. For JFK only 2010 makes that list. For NYC it's more than that but I'm not sure it's 5. I know for sure 2010, 1993, 1991 make this list for NYC (and maybe 1999 too?) but I don't know which others do. 1983 did not get to 100 in NYC (but 99 in September and 100 twice at JFK) I'd still put 1983 near the top for NYC because it held the 90 degree day record until 1991 and 1993. 1953 had four 100+ degree days at NYC but I don't think it had 30 90+ degree days (although it had two of our longest heatwaves ever. 1966 also had four 100+ degree days at NYC (and three in a row at JFK) but I'm not sure it had the 30 90+ degree days I'm looking for. 1955 holds the record for NYC with 16 95+ days but I'm not sure it hit 100 in 1955 at NYC. It's possible 1949 also belongs on this list with 5 99+ degree days at NYC (2 of which were 100+) and 8 100+ degree days at EWR but I don't know the number of 90+ degree days in that year.

there's too many summers to pick from for me to do a top 5, so I'll just list my top 5 ideal summers. 1. 2010 2. 1993 3. 1999 4. 1983 5. 1966

For NYC itself I'd say the top 5 summers for heat (ignoring sensor issues) were: 1. 2010 2. 1993 3. 1983 4. 1966 5. 1953 I really wanted to include 1991 and 1955 and 1949 and 1999, these should go in the next 5.

I mean, you have to use math formulas. Yes you can measure dew point directly but to actually measure the total heat content you have to combine that with temperature using formulas. For example: a temperature of 102 degrees with a dew point of 66 contains more heat than a temperature of 99 degrees with the same 66 dew point. BUT what about a temperature of 99 degrees with a dew point of 68? OR a temperature of 102 with a 64 dew point? Do you see what I mean-- there isn't any direct measure of heat, you must solve these using math formulas.

Yes, it's true. But temperature is what we can measure directly. You need to work with some math formulas to combine moistness with temperature to measure heat. the official NWS definition of *hot summer* ranks them by number of 90 degree highs and does not factor in moisture.

Yes it's average vs total, I care about what I can measure directly (which is temperature). Hot summers are defined by temperature (NWS criteria is number of 90 degree days.)

but we dont factor in dewpoints when we define heat, it's by temperature alone. We can see if it's top 5 by the end of the season, it's too hard to make that judgment right now. For example 2011 was top 5 by the end of July too, but then we had deluge after deluge in August, so it ended up not in the top 5 (although it still has one of the top 5 hot stretches-- as does this one-- in June of all months.) Here are my top 5 (including ones I didn't experience, just going by raw numbers) 1. 2010 2. 1993 3. 1983 4. 1999 5. 1966 The things I care about when categorizing heat are 1) number of 90 degree days 2) length of heatwaves 3) peak of heat temperatures (100 degree heatwaves get extra points.) For summers I've personally experienced I'd replace 1966 with 2002. I could have added either 1953 or 1955 or both but neither had 100 degree temperatures at JFK so I will not (although 1953 had 4 100+ days at NYC and the longest heatwave of all time and 1955 had the most 95+ days at NYC.)

1983 was hotter though (including here)-- JFK hit 100 in July and August and NYC hit 99 in September.

rain should be coming in between 4-6 today too

we had a three day stretch of 100+ at NYC after August 25 (and two day stretch of 100+ at JFK in the same time period) in 1948 and hit 100 after August 20th at JFK in 1983, we can get big heat any time in the month (NYC hit 103 in August in 2001 on the 9th.)

temperatures rising quickly, skies have cleared out (some cirrus to my south, negligible) and 95 degrees here already!!!!!

why is LGA over 8 percent higher-- is that because of much more traffic and higher population density in that area now Don?

unfortunately JFK is fairly unchanged =\ Don could you please do a similar rundown for 95 and 100 degree temperatures too? Thanks!

wow two separate 99 degree heatwaves in July and August? thats like all the pain without the reward of a triple digit high at least 1983 (which was a hotter summer) hit 100 both in July and August at JFK and 99 at Central Park in September

1993 and 2010 way ahead of everyone else, just as I remember them :-)

Do you think NWS is going to use any of these stations for their official backup or perhaps even apply a corrective factor to the poorly sited Central Park ASOS? Which of these would be the closest to Central Park (so we can see the difference.)

wow 4 100+ in July and 99 in August

so still a chance at 90 tomorrow?

10 minutes lol? It's 91 here now. In and out of clouds too.

Thanks I know it was well timed for the weekend, it was 99 both Saturday and Sunday at JFK and 99 Saturday at LGA and 100 Sunday at LGA. The highest heat indices ever recorded at JFK (113 if I remember it correctly or was it 117?) That night we had severe wx and the power went out in Brooklyn-- I remember that too lol

1906: Fresno, CA recorded their 28th 100 degree or higher day for the month setting a record for the most triple digit high temperatures ever in July. This record was tied in July 1931. (Ref. Wilson Wx. History) wow California had a lot of problems in 1906.... 1988 - A dozen cities in the north central and northeastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Downtown Baltimore, MD, hit 103 degrees, marking a record eight days of 100 degree heat for the month, and ten for the year. The high of 101 degrees at Billings, MT, marked a record seventeen days of 100 degree heat for the year. Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the northeast, with nearly fifty reports of large hail or damaging winds in Pennsylvania and New York State. A tree fell on a car at Erie, PA, injuring four persons. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) How did Baltimore have 10 100 degree days in 1988 and we had zero in the city? 1999: An intense heat wave began across the Midwest on the 28th and continued through the 31st. The heat peaked on this date with high temperatures in the Chicago area over 100 with heat indexes between 115 °F and 120 °F. Early morning, Chicago set their all-time highest dew point reading of 82 °F at Midway Airport. There were a total of 99 fatalities with the majority in Cook County. The overnight low of 77 °F at Rockford, IL set a record high minimum. (Ref. WxDoctor) wow 1999 had incredible endless heat everywhere !!!

The third thing that really stands out, I just remembered how incredibly rainy August 14, 2011 was lol, we had 10 inches of rain here and I think it was on a Saturday? No thunder or lightning just absolutely endless heavy rain all day long!!