TheClimateChanger

Only Toledo, earlier this year. But none of those cities reach 100+ with any degree of frequency. I think you're right about part of the cause - its simply more humid today than it was during some of the past heatwaves. But I do think some of it just comes down to more reliable equipment and better techniques for measuring the temperature. Even 1988... do a little research on the HO-83 that was in common use at the time at these first order climate sites... it was hot, no doubt, but there's a plethora of scientific studies showing a considerable warm bias related to that device on Tmax, especially on sunny days with light winds. It was so bad NOAA/NWS had to replace it in the mid 1990s. I think it's going to continue to be harder to see 100+ days with modern shielded, fan-aspirated equipment properly sited on the ground... in the 30s-50s, it was very common for city and airport records to be collected on building rooftops, which have since been shown to have a considerable warm bias. I think, to some extent, this effect was known at the time, but it was just deemed more convenient to house all of the equipment together and the anemometer needed to be located way above ground for reliability.

It seems like the Midwest has seen more than its fair share of heat in recent years, no? Not sure how much hotter y'all want it to get. Top ten hottest summer lists in Ohio and Michigan are dominated by recent summers. Lansing, Michigan: 2005, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2021, and 2022 (so far) in top ten. Saginaw, Michigan: 2010, 2012, 2020, and 2021 in top ten. Flint, Michigan: 2010 & 2016 in top ten. Detroit, Michigan: 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018, and 2021 in top ten. Alpena, Michigan: 2005, 2012, 2016, 2018, and 2021 in top ten. Traverse City, Michigan: 2005, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021 in top ten. Toledo, Ohio: 2002, 2005, 2010, 2020, 2021 and 2022 (so far) in top ten. Mansfield, Ohio: 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021 in top ten. Cleveland, Ohio: 2005, 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2018 in top ten. Akron, Ohio: 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022 (so far) in top ten.

Well, April 1875 was like the 19th century opposite of "Morch" of 2012. But, yeah, it could have been worse.

Anyways, even reading three degrees too high, I'm glad they didn't remove the record high on the 4th. It's probably still more reliable than the rooftop records from various buildings downtown for the first 65 years of the station thread. Or the 1870s method of taking the temperature from a sheltered window. The Weather Bureau actually continued to take records downtown until at least 1978... from 1953-1978, it averaged about 2.6F higher than PIT airport. And from 1936-1951, it was about 1.9F warmer than AGC. From 1999-2021, AGC averaged 0.6F warmer than PIT, suggesting the difference was pretty robust from the two periods. Although I suspect some of the 1800s records are probably 3-4F too warm compared to modern readings. https://www.weather.gov/pbz/stationhistory

Not sure, but it would appear the sensor or fan malfunctioned or failed in the last handful of days of August and was corrected around September 11. I looked at the hourly observations on the 9th and PIT had humidity levels generally between 87%-90%. You'd expect with such heavy rain humidity would be closer to 97-100%. I'm not really sure how it happens, but I noticed the humidity will often appear lower when a station is reporting too high, which is somewhat weird because the humidity is supposed to be calculated separately and the dewpoint determined from the temperature and humidity. So you would think it would just result in the dewpoint also registering too high. Perhaps a fan issue, where the air parcel was being heated by the heating elements in the ASOS without proper ventilation which would leave the dewpoint unaffected, and thus result in the humidity registering too low?

Not really much difference between the two sites. Since 1999, July has averaged 0.24" drier at AGC and 0.4F warmer on the mean. Maxima have averaged just 0.1F warmer, and minima 0.7F warmer. With that said, the difference between the two sites this July is within the variance of prior years. Although there have been only 3 years in which AGC was more than 1.0F warmer in the month of July, and all three of them AGC was substantially drier than PIT (1999, 2000 & 2005 average: 2.79" drier). This suggests at least a portion of the difference of the difference was due to drier soil moisture conditions. In the table below, red means AGC was warmer and blue means PIT was warmer. Note that the mean difference looks like it should be 0.5F, but that's due to rounding (the values to two decimal places are 73.85F and 73.43F). What's interesting is how much of a difference that 0.42F difference would make to the record warmest Julys. NWS PBZ has a list of 12 Julys in which the mean was at or above 77.0F - all but one was from the old downtown site. The lone exception is July 2020, at 77.3F (or 8th place on the list). But if AGC were still the official source of records, July 2020 would move up to 4th place (78.2F) and 1999, 2011, and 2012 would all place in the top ten.

Maybe I have too much time on my hands, but I went through every first-order climate site in PIT's CWA and all surrounding offices (CLE, ILN, BUF, RLX, CTP, and LWX) and only a few locations have received 4 or fewer 90+ days. Most lower elevations sites have 2-4x that amount, with up to 5-7x that amount in the Coastal Plain and a couple of other particularly low elevation sites. Except for MFD and HLG, there's BUF next to Lake Erie and several high elevation sites with DUJ at 1800' and EKN, BFD, BKW and JST all above 2000'. Even AGC (which was the official site from 7/1/1935-9/16/1952) is at 9 days, which honestly seems more in line with most observations. PIT 4 DUJ 4 MFD 4 BUF 4 HLG 3 EKN 3 BFD 2 BKW 1 JST 0

Not sure how you put up with that. Syracuse has 4 more 90+ days this year alone than Pittsburgh International has recorded in the last two summers combined.

Yes, not nearly as much movement as the wintertime. With that said, they keep redefining what is normal. Based on 1961-1990 normals, June was 67.8, July 71.9, and August 70.3. Now its 69.9 (+2.1F), 73.9 (+2.0F), and 72.3 (+2.0F). So it would have been considered more than 4F above normal as recently as 2000.

What an incredible summer of yesteryear in New York State. I see people say these temperatures are unattainable due to urban heat island, but when you look at the actual data, you see that it was unimaginably cold upstate as well with numerous locations in the 30s - even several freezing temperatures.

Very similar story in Toledo. If the summer ended today, it would rank as third warmest in between 2021 and 2020. I question the 1995 readings as the temperatures in the era (late 1980s - mid 1990s) were inflated by the HO83 hygrothermometer, which is known to have a substantial warm bias. Still very impressive... looking at top 22 of 150 years, we find 2002, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Just incredible never-ending heat, making the Dust Bowl era look mild. What really makes these readings impressive is Toledo Express airport is in a rather rural setting, situated in the middle of a green belt including the Oak Openings Preserve and Maumee State Forest, with nothing but cornfields and soybeans and scattered towns for hundreds of miles to the west.

In what has become a familiar refrain, another scorching summer in northern Ohio. Akron is currently tied for 6th place with 2020 for the warmest June 1 - August 7 periods on record. While the top four on this list are all quite old, those years all cooled in late August. So all of the current record hottest summers are exclusively very recent (see table below). If the summer ended today, it would tie for hottest on record with 2020 and 2016. 2018 and 2021 are tied for third hottest on record at two-tenths of a degree below 2020 and 2016. It appears 2022 should follow suit, and end up somewhere in the mix with these recent years. What's especially interesting and mindboggling is the station thread includes records from the University of Akron, and then present-day Akron Fulton International Airport for a while, before moving to the Akron-Canton Regional Airport in Green Township. If records were still taken at KAKR, a lot of these recent readings would be another 0.5-1F warmer.

Dishonorable mention to the other Italian-American weather guru named Joe, for this atrocious forecast at the Heartland Institute's ICCC in July 2014:

East Nantmeal sounds like a magical place. You even have one fewer 90+ day than Bradford at 2100’ near the New York state line. And if there’s a heat island in McKean County, there must be a heat island everyone. 40,000 people and 1,000 square miles.

Heck, we get 1995-esque temperatures today, and people comment about how it's a mild summer of yesteryear.

Well, I'm sure the current system isn't perfect. It's probably the best system we have. When was the ASOS installed at PHL? Those readings from 1993-1995 are probably hyper-inflated from the HO-83 sensors, which are known to have read 1-3C too high during the daytime on sunny days with light winds - which are common during the summertime. https://climateaudit.org/2007/08/22/the-ho-83-hygrothermometer/ I wonder how warm summers like 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, and 1995 from that era would be if measured today? Maybe the volcanic summer of 1992 would be even a bit cooler. I remember hearing about how 1995 was a deadly, once in a lifetime heatwave - yet now it barely even stands out as hot, as it seems almost every summer is nearly as warm or warmer these days.

Good point. I just took a look at PHL and PNE, and they are always about the same for daytime highs in the summer with PHL may be averaging a couple tenths of a degree warmer. Looks like it's spot on, at least for daytime maxima - unless PNE sensor also somehow broke this summer as well. I don't know about the low temperatures, although I wouldn't think it's a sensor issue if daytime maxima are unaffected. With that said, could be change in ground cover around the station, or construction? Not saying that's the case, just a possibility. Either way clearly not two degrees off. Funny how there's always so much discussion about sensors all of a sudden reading too high, but never the inverse. Even when Albany was reporting a solid 3F low for well over a year...

It means the long-range GFS is actually going to be correct for a change.

Actually, fourth warmest at Freehold if you toss 1983 (missing the entire months of June and July - that average is based on just the first three days of August), and 1987 (missing the entire month of June - the coolest summer month - and therefore inflated).

Farmer’s Almanac forecast just dropped. We’re on the edge of significant shivers, slushy, icy and snowy, and unreasonably cold and snowy.

Tornado Warning PAC051-WVC077-020015- /O.NEW.KPBZ.TO.W.0018.220801T2339Z-220802T0015Z/ BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED Tornado Warning National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA Issued by National Weather Service Charleston WV 739 PM EDT Mon Aug 1 2022 The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a * Tornado Warning for... Southeastern Fayette County in southwestern Pennsylvania... Northeastern Preston County in northeastern West Virginia... * Until 815 PM EDT. * At 739 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Uniontown, moving east at 20 mph. HAZARD...Tornado. SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely. * This dangerous storm will be near... Farmington around 805 PM EDT. Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Mill Run, Dunbar, Fairchance, Ohiopyle, Chalkhill and Markleysburg. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Please report severe weather by calling 412-262-1988, posting to the NWS Pittsburgh Facebook page, or using Twitter @NWSPITTSBURGH. && LAT...LON 3994 7937 3990 7940 3985 7942 3985 7940 3972 7945 3972 7948 3971 7948 3983 7984 4000 7979 3996 7936 TIME...MOT...LOC 2339Z 285DEG 19KT 3990 7973 TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN $$

Tornado Warning PAC051-059-WVC061-020015- /O.NEW.KPBZ.TO.W.0019.220801T2344Z-220802T0015Z/ BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED Tornado Warning National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA Issued by National Weather Service Charleston WV 744 PM EDT Mon Aug 1 2022 The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a * Tornado Warning for... Central Greene County in southwestern Pennsylvania... Southwestern Fayette County in southwestern Pennsylvania... Northwestern Monongalia County in northern West Virginia... * Until 815 PM EDT. * At 743 PM EDT, a tornado producing storm was located near Waynesburg, moving southeast at 20 mph. HAZARD...Damaging tornado and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar confirmed tornado. IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely. * This tornadic storm will be near... Waynesburg around 755 PM EDT. Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Rogersville, Spraggs, Nineveh and Mount Morris. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Please report severe weather by calling 412-262-1988, posting to the NWS Pittsburgh Facebook page, or using Twitter @NWSPITTSBURGH. && LAT...LON 3987 8040 4001 8029 3985 7993 3971 8013 TIME...MOT...LOC 2343Z 308DEG 17KT 3989 8029 TORNADO...OBSERVED MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN $$

I'd argue that, in light of the new normal, it's really a below average summer. It's 33rd out of 149 years overall, so easily in the top quartile for warmest June 1 to July 31st periods. However, since 2010, only four years have been cooler at BUF - 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017. Seven have been warmer - 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021, and one (2019) has been the same. Since 2005, a similar story, with only 6 cooler years (2007, 2009, and the four listed above) versus 10 warmer and one equal year. And 2007 was only a tenth of a degree cooler than this year for the same period. Only 2009 had a mean temperature in the bottom half of all years.

Really crazy how quick things have heated up in the summertime. I've been warning about this since the 1990s, but even so, to see it come to fruition and play out the way it has over the past 30 years has been sobering. We'll likely be seeing summers approaching and exceeding 80+ in our lifetimes. Just look at this data... Here's the warmest June 1 - July 31st periods on record for Toledo. It's crazy to see how what were once considered very hot summers in my lifetime are now just run of the mill summers. 1991 was 9th hottest on record (out of 128 years) when it occurred. Now it's 20th (out of 150 years). What was once the 9th hottest start to summer on record in Toledo has been surpassed 11 times in the past 32 years (more frequently than once every 3 years). In fact, it's been surpassed every single year since 2019 (2018 was a tenth of a degree cooler). 1995 would have been the 7th hottest start to summer at the time - not relegated to a tie for 14th place. 1999, went from 9th to 17th. These were considered scorching summers when I was younger. It makes you wonder too, whether those heat records of the late 1980s and early 1990s weren't somewhat inflated by the warm-biased HO-83 sensors. Was a big story at the time, especially with the rollout of ASOS in the mid and late 90s. Same story at Cleveland. 1995 has gone from 7th hottest start to summer, all the way down to 13th. What was the 7th hottest in 125 years has been surpassed 6 times in 27 years. 1999 went from a two-way tie for 10th all the way down to a three-way tie for 18th in just 23 years. What was considered a scorching summer at the time has been met or surpassed 9 times in 23 years. Similar story at Canton-Akron, although 1991 is holding up much better (again, wonder how much the HO-83 helped out there?). It's only been surpassed once so far. 1999, on the other hand, went from a two-way tie for 10th place on the hottest starts to summer, all they way to a three-way tie for 18th place. At the time, the 10th hottest summer in 113 years. It's now been met or surpassed 9 times in 23 years. Same story with Detroit. I expanded this one a little further to capture the present year, which places 29th overall - but would have been 16th hottest at the end of the 20th century. And heck a bunch of those hot periods were in my lifetime (1987, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1999) - several probably somewhat inflated. There were only 11 hotter starts to summer before my time. Just to give you a different perspective, by looking at where this seemingly pedestrian summer would have placed in the not so distant past. Even the early years are probably inflated since they were typically rooftop measurements in high density urban cores. Ironically, climate deniers have shown that rooftop measurements are garbage. And these weren't even taken with fan aspiration, just an old school Stevenson screen. Probably picking up superheated air from the roof and building. Just crazy they act like its warmed a degree, when it's obviously warmed much more than that just in our lifetimes.