LibertyBell

wild, JFK hit 102 on July 1, 1963 Tony? Highs: EWR: 100 (1963) NYC: 100 (1901) LGA: 97 (2018) JFK: 102 (1963) Two degrees hotter than EWR lol

1966, 1999 and 2011 are the three most extreme Julys on this list.

1980's historic nationwide heatwave is used as a textbook example of how lethal heat can be. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_United_States_heat_wave The 1980 United States heat wave was a period of intense heat and drought that wreaked havoc on much of the Midwestern United States and Southern Plains throughout the summer of 1980. It was among the most destructive and deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history, claiming at least 1,700 lives.[1] Because of the massive drought, agricultural damage reached US$20 billion (equivalent to $76 billion in 2024 dollars[2]).[3] It is among the billion-dollar weather disasters listed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Causes [edit] The heat wave began in June when a strong high pressure ridge began to build in the central and southern United States allowing temperatures to soar to 90 °F (32 °C) almost every day from June to September. The high pressure system also acted as a cap on the atmosphere inhibiting the development of thunderstorm activity, leading to exceptionally severe drought conditions. The heat wave paused briefly when the decaying Hurricane Allen disrupted the prevailing weather pattern. Effects [edit] The drought and heat wave conditions led many Midwestern cities to experience record heat. In Kansas City, Missouri, the high temperature was below 90 °F (32 °C) only twice and soared above the century mark (100 °F or 38 °C) for 17 days straight; in Memphis, Tennessee, the temperature reached an all-time high of 108 °F (42 °C) on July 13, 1980, part of a 15-day stretch of temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C) that lasted from July 6 to 20. In Indianapolis, Indiana on July 15, the temperature reached 100 °F (38 °C) for the first time since 1954. In Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, high temperatures exceeded 100 °F (38 °C) a total of 69 times, including a record 42 consecutive days from June 23 to August 3,[4] of which 28 days were above 105, and five days above 110. The area saw 29 days in which the previous record high temperature was either broken or tied, including its all-time high when the temperature hit 113 °F (45 °C) on three consecutive days (June 26 and 27 at DFW Airport and June 28 at Dallas Love Field).

you're losing the forest for the trees. Since you love AI so much, here is an AI briefing on that summer: AI Overview The summer of 1980 was exceptionally hot, particularly in the Southern and Southeastern United States . Key aspects of the 1980 heat wave: Duration and Intensity: The heat wave extended from June to September in some areas, driven by a strong, persistent high-pressure system. Dallas/Fort Worth experienced temperatures exceeding 100°F for almost six consecutive weeks. Wichita Falls, Texas, recorded an unprecedented temperature of 117°F. In Kansas City, Missouri, temperatures reached 100°F or more for 17 consecutive days. Dallas-Fort Worth set numerous heat records, including the all-time highest temperature of 113°F (on June 26th and 27th) and the longest streak of days with high temperatures of at least 100°F (42 days). The summer of 1980's average temperature in July for Dallas-Fort Worth was 92°F, making it the hottest month on record based on average temperature. Impact on the Population: Extreme heat was a major factor in a significant number of deaths, with estimates ranging from 1,250 to 10,000 nationwide. In Missouri alone, there were 389 heat-related deaths. In St. Louis and Kansas City, deaths from all causes increased significantly in July 1980 compared to previous years without heat waves. Elderly individuals and the urban poor were particularly vulnerable. Many lacked air conditioning, making it difficult to cope with the extreme heat. Drought Conditions: The high-pressure system inhibited thunderstorm development, leading to severe drought conditions. The Ozarks, for instance, were under extreme drought conditions. The dry conditions contributed to even higher temperatures. Economic Impact: The heat and drought severely damaged crops and livestock, leading to estimated agricultural losses of around $20 billion. Corn and soybean harvests were reduced by up to 50% in some areas. Livestock suffered greatly, with thousands of cattle deaths reported. Dairy cow milk production declined. These losses impacted the economy, causing food prices to rise and contributing to the failure of some family farms. In summary, the summer of 1980 was characterized by a widespread and prolonged heat wave that caused significant human mortality, agricultural losses, and economic damage across the United States.

You can still beat the heat by traveling outside the UHI by the way, heat is relative, it will always be cooler outside of the UHI.

The heat didn't start in June (at least not until the last week) and we're comparing sustained heat not just June but the entire summer. 1980 stands alone for July-August.

I hit 92 here at 1 PM my second heatwave so far.

It came out of the southwest and covered most of the country. Forget temperature tables and read some news sources of how lethal the summer of 1980 actually was.

2010 was perfect beginning to end

what are you doing out there and in which part, Ant?

They were Sonoran heat releases directly out of the southwest LOL

The high was 92 here around 1 PM and then the sea breeze came in and now down to 87 even though it's mostly sunny.

dry ground and an offshore flow is great for days like this

Thanks Tony, this is truly epic BBQ weather!! Even some natural fireworks at night pre July 4th!!

wow my 102 guess for June 24 was correct.... I just saw your very excellent post, Don. I've always wondered if we could do temperature corrections like this. I'm guessing Central Park should have reached 90 yesterday too? It just hit 91 here Don, I'm guessing Central Park is a bit behind again today?

It just hit 91 here Don, I'm guessing Central Park is a bit behind again today?

You posted the records from all my favorite heatwaves Chris-- THANK YOU!!! The only ones you left out were July 1983, August 1983, September 1983 (three from that historic summer lol), July 1993, July 1999, July 2010 and July 2011. More recent but a fair comparison my friend. By the way no way no how Central Park did not hit 100 degrees for their earliest triple digit reading last week. Based on the fact that Central Park is usually hotter than LGA when on a NW wind (or should be), I'd estimate they should have been 102 on that day (the same as JFK) and should have also hit 102 on the day after (the same as JFK again). Something is really vexing me though. Our local TV mets are proclaiming the Central Park temperatures to be valid and even claiming verification based on them. WABC's prediction for 6/24/2025 was 98 degrees and when the Central Park high was 99 they proclaimed they were correct in that New York City would be close but not hit 100 degrees. Likewise when Central Park only hit 89 yesterday they said they were correct again (their prediction was 88 degrees) when they said New York City would be close but not hit 90. They treated LGA and JFK like outlier suburban stations (JFK is too far south that's why it's hotter, LGA is north of us and likely influenced by hotter inland air from the lower hudson valley is what they said.)

I was hoping the dry conditions would kill off the lanternflies =\ Usually the drier it is the less pests/bugs we have.

2010: The hottest June on Record! The Richmond International Airport reported the mean temperature for June was 81.1 °F which was a new 113 year record. This breaks the old record of 79.2 °F set in 1943 and was a +8.7 °F departure from average. June had 8 new daily temperature records and all were for heat. Both June 27th and 28th had a maximum temperature 102 °F. Richmond has never had back to back 102 °F days before in June. Only three June days have been hotter: (June 30, 1937 103 °F) (June 19, 1944 103 °F) (June 26, 1952 104 °F ) June 2010 also had 19 days of 90 °F or higher temperatures the record was 20 in 1943. June had only 0.82 inches rainfall making it the second driest in 113 years only 1980 was drier with only 0.38 inches and with the heat made severe drought conditions. (Ref. Richmond Weather Records - KRIC)2010: Both Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. recorded their hottest Junes, with the thermometer in Philadelphia averaging 5.9°F above normal for the month. Miami, Florida notched not just its hottest June, but its hottest month on record.(Ref. Weatherwise U.S. Weather Highlights of 2010 page 8 ) Summer 2010 was to summer what 1995-96 was to winter!!

the haze and breathing problems are also a product of car fuel exhaust (NO2 air pollution), which lowers life expectancy by 2 years or so and increases asthma rates and genetic mutations.

Didn't a city or town get completely burned down in that intense heat?

Yes MY ONLY 30 INCH SNOWSTORM EVER AND PROBABLY WON'T SEE ANOTHER ONE. I can't even think of another snowstorm that could possible dump 30 inches in a straight line from Allentown to Oceanside lol. The only thing that was remotely similar to that was February 1983 (both in very strong el ninos) that dumped 26 inches in Allentown and 22 inches at JFK. That 30 inches on 3 inches of liquid was juiced by CC extra moisture.

I really wish there was a way to adjust the numbers like they did for the January 2016 snowstorm. Remember when they did that? It was originally slightly behind January 2006 and then adjusted upward later. There is a scientific way of doing this using nearby stations.

It's hard to believe Central Park being 5 degrees cooler than me but here we are. I'll also note that even when we went completely overcast here for an hour I was still 3 degrees hotter than Central Park's highest temperature of the day!

That 99 last week was extremely significant. Central Park lost out on its earliest 100 ever recorded there.