LibertyBell

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!!

Two things that really stand out are that 104 degrees from August 2018 (wow!) and that three day 100+ extreme heatwave that happened at the end of August 1948 (triple wow!!)-- when JFK had back to back 100+ days. The only other time JFK has hit 100 in August was during the endless summer of 1983 (when it also hit 100+ in July).

so it looks like we could get as hot as we are now or possibly even hotter Don?

One of the times I recorded 106 on my car thermometer was in July 2019 when I was driving through northern Queens. I think the high at JFK was 99 (ugh) and it was 100 at LGA if I remember correctly. In Manhattan it was 98 on my car thermometer and then I got into the Midtown Tunnel and came out the other side and just after that and before I hit the Grand Central the temperature rose to 106 lol. It starts to drop again after you pass that park and lake near the Grand Central (I don't remember the name of either.)

I just don't see how it's possible as the heat wasn't anywhere near as anomalous as June's was when I hit 106 and 103 on back to back days. Although I suppose it's possible, my car thermometer recorded 106 a few times in the part of Queens I describe below. I don't disagree about the skyscrapers making it cooler, I have driven around the city in the past and northern Queens was consistently the hottest part of the city, especially that area when you leave the Mid Town Tunnel and just before you hit the Grand Central. It's because density of population and extremely high traffic volume, that part of Queens is at least 5 degrees hotter than Manhattan on the other side of the tunnel (and this is year round not just in the summer.)

The back to back 106 and 103 I recorded last month was the real deal though, same exact siting as in July 2010 and July 2011 and it was hotter than either of them at their peak.

it's probably because thats a concrete jungle and the densest most highly populated part of the city. But I don't take 103 degree temperatures seriously. If I wanted I could stick my thermometer out in a sunny part of my yard and record even higher temperatures than that. Today it looks like the sea breeze might stay away until later so we have a much better chance at 100+