Summer Heat Diary… August 8-9, 2017

Wednesday August 9th…

Dear diary. Today’s main topic is the smoky pollution in association with the current heat wave in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve see smoke advisories (in grey) posted for a while now:

The heat remains a problem too noting the purple and orange colored advisories. Here is one of the many media stories I’ve encountered in association with the smoke:

https://publichealthinsider.com/2017/08/02/hazy-days-wildfire-smoke-and-your-health/?platform=

As excess heat due to carbon pollution gets worse and more frequent during expanded warm seasons forest fire smoke will only become more of a problem and a bigger health concern. Thankfully, most of the country by this point in this year’s summer season is not having to contend with smoke due mainly to a lack of high temperatures. Here are tomorrows maxes:

The only real concern for heat, as has been the case the last week, is in the Pacific Northwest and deserts of the Southwest.

Here are today’s maxes:

If anything the heat wave in the Pacific Northwest intensified. It also got a tad hotter in the deserts if the Southwest. Except for Texas and Florida most of the rest of the country was continuing to enjoy an August minus dangerous heat.

The Climate Guy

Tuesday August 8th…

Dear diary. Most of the reports from the early August Pacific Northwest heat wave have come into the NCEI records database. So far in August we see that hot reports have outpaced the number of cool reports:

Also notice that I have added the number 114 to the raking for July 2017. The number 114 indicates that the U.S. (lower 48 states) had its 10th warmest July since 1895, as far back in time as rankings go. The number 123 would represent the top warmest ranking from 1895-2017 (123 years). Detailed climate reports can be found here:

https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/national/201707

For those of you playing my Climate Lottery contest for summer, the first two numbers to come out of the NCEI hopper were 104 for June and 114 for July.☺

Most of the cool reports of records this month are coming from the Midwest. Please peruse the NCEI records site here:

https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/datatools/records

As one would expect due to global warming U.S. temperatures, as a whole, during both this summer and July have been above average. Here is the latest breakdown by state of average rankings that occurred during July:

There are no surprises here given the ratio of daily record reports (about 4 to 1) and the many items coming from news sources during July. The West and Florida were the nation’s hot spots. The Midwest and New England were the cool areas, but no one state saw “below average” temperatures.

Alaska had its third warmest July in recorded history, which is newsworthy:

Central Alaska was warmest on record, a real eye opener.

I am linking this new, comprehensive climate report as noted by the New York Times. It’s my hope that the Trump administration will not dismiss or poo poo the thing:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/07/climate/climate-change-drastic-warming-trump.html

It remains dangerously hot in the deserts of the Southwest due to the exit of monsoon moisture. Be careful out there:

Seattle will break its longest streak of dry weather since records have been kept at 52 days! The dry streak is in association with heat wave #5. Here are some comparative dry streaks for other locations (From MDA Weather Services):

Tomorrows maxes will be similar to those of today:

Tuesday Evening Updates…

Heat wave #5 ain’t quite dead yet. According to NWS Portland at Portland OR there has been 11 90+F days in a row…a new record beating out the previous record of 10 set back in 1967 and 1938.

Here are today’s maxes:

Yep, that smoky heat wave in the Pacific Northwest remains intense, particularly east of the Cascades. I experienced a rainy, “cool” day in Atlanta. Most locations in the Midwest and Northeast warmed a few degrees above Monday’s levels, but temperatures remained pleasant.

To see all 2017 Heat Diary entries click:

https://guyonclimate.com/category/heatdiary2017/

The Climate Guy

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