WP/AP: Heat Wave Has Much of Nation Sizzling

[DeepModem Mom]

Heat Wave Has Much of Nation Sizzling
By CARLA K. JOHNSON
The Associated Press
Sunday, July 16, 2006

CHICAGO -- Temperatures soared into the upper 90s and higher Sunday from coast to coast, bringing out heat warnings, wilting athletes and driving others into the shade.

The choking heat was expected to continue for the next few days, and the hot air was moving toward the East Coast, meteorologists said.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Sunday that the state would make more than 130 office buildings available as cooling centers beginning Monday. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty had ordered the National Guard out to help firefighters as temperatures even in the normally cool northern part of the state pushed 100 degrees amid very dry conditions.

The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings for Las Vegas, Chicago, St. Louis and Tulsa, Okla. Excessive heat watches were issued for the Philadelphia area and New Jersey, where thermometers made it into the 90s Sunday in a rehearsal for highs of 100 degrees Monday....

***

Even the Colorado mountain town of Frazier, which sits at 8,550 feet and likes to claim that it is the nation's ice box, was in the upper 80s...."It's not supposed to be hot like this. Lately there have been evenings when you could sit outside at 10 p.m. without a coat. All my life I couldn't do that," said Connie Clayton, 58, a lifelong resident of Frazier....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/16/AR2006071600456.html

[babylonsister]

1. It always sizzles in TX, but it's now especially sizzling-it's

gross out there. My heart goes out to all the folks w/o air con. I hope they have somewhere close by they can go to cool off.
I'm just really glad global warming isn't a valid issue to concern ourselves with. :eyes:

[rainbow4321]

7. And those damn bank temperature clocks down here

really need to be disconnected once they start reading 100 degrees...on my way to work last night at 6 pm I passed 3 of them. Readings: 110, 105, 106. To make it worse, the one that read 110 changed to 111 right as I drove by it!
It's been one of those hot spells where you shower, go out to get the mail, and come inside feeling the need to re-shower!

[jwirr]

40. LoL, here in nice cool northern Minnesota we drove past one of

those signs and it read 133 in the sun. I am not sure what that means re the real temp but it was shocking for anyone up here! We are also having 90+ temps here but at least we had some rain before it started. Pity those areas that have been in a drought situation for some years already.

[Tight_rope]

41. You are so right....It was sizzling in Houston this past weekend.

And this being concrete city, you couldn't even find a leaf to hide behind for some shade. Not that that would help with all the humidity.

[greccogirl]

45. I don't trust

any of the 'bank' ones, LOL. They are notorious for registering hotter than it is, especially if they are in the sun.

[MGD]

68. It has been around 106 all week in Austin.

[snooper2]

38. Dallas metroplex needs rain badly...

I've been here 8 years now and haven't seen it this bad. Today is my water day this week, from 7PM to midnight. Hopefully some of the cracks in the yard will be gone for a couple days. A friend gave me some extra soaker hoses so my foundation will have a little relief....

check out this article...

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/071806dnmetweather.1fa26c98.html

Experts: Get used to the heat

09:52 AM CDT on Monday, July 17, 2006
From Staff Reports

Thermometers in North Texas area expected to sail past the century mark for most of the week.

Joe Harris, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said Monday’s temperature was expected to hit a high of 103 degrees at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport and Love Field, and 104 degrees at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the area’s official recording station.

DallasNews.com/extra

D-FW forecast and radars

Forecasts for major Texas cities
“Most of North Texas is going to be 100 to 106 today,” Mr. Harris said.

Tuesday’s high for D/FW Airport will be similar, maybe climbing a degree. The predictions continue with 102 degrees on Wednesday and 101 degrees on Thursday.

The saving grace is that the humidity is low, Mr. Harris said, adding that otherwise, it could feel like 110 degrees.

The hottest day of the year so far, at 103 degrees, was recorded Sunday. It was the first time the thermometer has hit 103 since Aug. 23.

According to National Weather Service records, the last time the mercury reached at least 103 in July was six years ago – also on July 16 – when it hit 106.

Meteorologists blame the heat on a high-pressure ridge, combined with intense sun and drought-stricken soil that heats up faster than normal. Mr. Harris said the ridge, which is sitting on the country’s midsection, is causing temperatures to soar across much of a region west of Minneapolis to New Orleans.

more...

[NYC]

2. It has arrived.

91° now. Will not go much lower than 80° this evening.

Next few days will be around 96°, and feel like 100° or more.

[wellstone dem]

3. Central Minnesota

91 degrees, no air conditioning, kids just wet down the dogs and themselves and now have fans pointed to them. Hope to get some relief when it dips into the 60s tonight. Send ice.

[greccogirl]

46. You get to

the 60's at night? Wow that's awesome. It's usually still in high 80's or lower 90's at 11 pm here.

[Lindacooks]

54. No, last night the low was in the upper 70s because the dewpoint

was 74. That's really unusual for Minnesota; it is humid here in the summer, but that's tropical air.

[wellstone dem]

66. unfortunately that was just the forecast

It got down to 84 last night.

[NJ Democrats]

4. It was hot here in NJ

It is going to be 100 tommorrow as the article says.

[brentspeak]

28. At 10:00 am this morning, it was already 85 deg F in Bergen Cty

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. favorite tricks

frozen washcloths (or better yet, towels) to wrap around your neck.
Those 'snake' things you can freeze are great if you can afford them.

spray bottle of water and a fan. spritz yourself and sit in front of the fan.

freeze water bottles half full, add water to the top when you go out, will stay cold for a few hours.

cover windows to keep the sun out, aluminum foil works well, and reflects the heat too.

Try and avoid alcohol, it raises your body temp. (I'm pretty good at ignoring this one)

Luckily, we're at normal temps here in OR, but a few weeks ago it hit 110. Felt like I was back in AZ. :(

[Cha]

8. WOW! You just gave

me some great ideas! Thanks, Viva!

I'm in an attic apartment with no AC and I need all the "tricks" I can get:)

I have a frozen gel that I used the other week but I'm off to freeze some washcloths and towels NOW!

[babylonsister]

11. I just returned from Indonesia where it's hot (though

TX is currently hotter); many restaurants and bars hand out cold/frozen face cloths when you go to their establishments. It does help tremendously!

[Cha]

15. That's good to know

about Indonesia..my son hangs out there a lot to surf so I'll tell him what I heard about the restaurants there in the heat waves.

I just dress real light and eat fruit and drink cold stuff when it's this HOT. B-)

[Johnny Noshoes]

13. My first apartment

My first apartment was an attic apartment in Queens here in NYC. Man I feel your pain zidzi. I have no ac in my place just two fans its 90 in here - can't wait for October.

[Cha]

14. Yeah, I got the "two fans"

thing goin' on!

[NYC]

72. Eat frozen grapes.

It's good to eat something cold, and it makes your fingers cold, which helps to cool you over all.

I don't live in an attic, but I'm right under the roof. Apts. lower down are nice and cool with their air conditioning. I feel like I live in an attic.

[greccogirl]

47. My first one in Atlanta

was downtown on the 2nd floor - no air. My lease was up in July and I thought I could get by. WRONG I thought I'd die. Downtown with all that brick and concrete is always hotter.

91 here at 12:30 pm.................

[jwirr]

42. Fans in the window facing outwards to blow the heat out.

[enlightenment]

76. Add a little rubbing alcohol to the water -- it will stay colder longer.

And try getting one of those ice blocks (not the cubes) that they sell in the stores -- put it in a big bowl or tub and set it in front of the fan -- instant AC.

Good luck -- it was 110 here today, with 17% humidity (dry compared to the upper mid-west, I know -- but it sure felt nasty).

[TexasLady]

50. excellent tips, and heres another

being in the Texas Heatwave of 80, and no AC, our family used to turn on the attic fan that would suck the air thru the windows, and wed leave water in our tub to soak the sheets in and then bring them to bed to stay cool...it kept us cool enuff to actually fall asleep! otherwise, it was terrible.

[Lindacooks]

55. Also avoid caffeine, if you can.

That makes it harder for your body to cool itself.

[karlrschneider]

6. 104F on my porch right now (yup, in the shade)

The AC can't keep up & I put the lawn sprinkler out for the doggies this morning. It helps but they ain't happy campers.

[soulcore]

9. Had to go swimming here in North Texas today it was so hot...

One thermometer read 104 in the shade, the other toped out at 120 in the sun.

[karlrschneider]

10. I started to jump in the lake around 2 pm but the water was so

warm like bath water I just skipped it. Walked back to the house instead.
sheesh

[madrchsod]

12. i tried to hang the clothes out to dry today

but no luck..there`s to much water in the air for them to dry...i reeally hate using the dryer when it should take a half hour to dry outside..those dam earwigs love damp clothes...

[OneMultnomahDem]

16. There has been record heat in Oregon this summer

[The Anti-Neo Con]

17. 100* forecasted here all week long.

Anyone who doesn't believe in global warming NOW is very delusional. Our forecasters say this is the most brutal heatwave since 1980.

[greccogirl]

48. It can't compare

to 1980. Sorry. I was pregnant that summer and driving a car without air. We had I don't know how many days of 105 degrees and almost no rain all summer.

As bad as this year is, nothing compares to that, this isn't even close..............

[The Anti-Neo Con]

51. I was only 4 years old then...

but I've heard stories about the summer of '80. My dad says A LOT of people died in St. Louis from that heat wave. He also said that some of my uncle's livestock died even though they had shaded shelters and plenty of water available.

[greccogirl]

53. Yup. The Summer of 1980

was horrible. I spent 63 days in the hospital with a difficult pregnancy and my hospital room never got before 85 degrees...............

[MadHound]

58. Hey greccogirl, welcome to DU

Yeah, I remember the summer of '80. Open the door and it felt like you were opening up a blast furnace. Here in Missouri, we have a lot of summer high temp records that date back to '80. Got so back that the highways and roads were buckling badly.

Still and all though, our average temperature has been going up since then. We're having much warmer winters up here, thus we're starting to have plants and critters migrate up north that should be much more at home in your neck of the woods.

[justabob]

59. You are right

In Dallas we had 69 days above 100 degrees in 1980. What we have now is without a doubt miserable, but its not yet as bad as 1980 or the year (90, 91? ) we went something like 90 days without any rain.

Sidenote: I can't even imagine being pregnant in that kind of heat.... I was miserable temperature-wise even in winter

[mbperrin]

65. Hi justabob! Here in Odessa, we've already had 37 days above 100

since April 15, and the real hot season is just underway!

More good news! TXU is now charging 15.02 cents per Kilowatt-hour - the bill for our two bedroom jumped from $240 in May to $367 in June! Wahooooooo! Good news for the economy - it's booming!

Now I'm gonna lay down and consider drinking a whole lot more.....

[lynne]

67. OH - I remember 1980, too -

- I came home from work and somehow managed to walk up the hill in that heat to my garden to get a tomato. I had been wanting a tomato sandwich all day and I just couldn't wait.

I sliced that tomato, put it on white bread with gobs of mayo and salt and pepper and bit into it and it was . . . burning HOT! The tomato was so hot it tasted cooked! :puke:

I threw the sandwich in the garbage as it was just too nasty to eat!

[Roland99]

18. Running errands today, temp on my car's dash never got under 100

measures outside temp.

[OneMultnomahDem]

19. Global warming is a myth

[babylonsister]

21. Welcome to DU, and do you really think that? nt

[gasperc]

49. when Greenland fully melts

they'll still think it's a natural environmental cycle

[LifeDuringWartime]

24. ha ha

there's a sarcasm smiley, you know ;)

[Barrett808]

39. Welcome to DU! Check it: "First Half of 2006 Is Warmest on Record"

First Half of 2006 Is Warmest on Record
Jul 14 1:06 PM US/Eastern
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/14/D8IRSULOB.html

WASHINGTON - The first half of the year was the warmest on record for the United States.

The government reported Friday that the average temperature for the 48 contiguous United States from January through June was 51.8 degrees Fahrenheit, or 3.4 degrees above average for the 20th century.

That made it the warmest such period since recordkeeping began in the National Climatic Data Center reported.

No state was cooler than average and five states _ Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri _ experienced record warmth for the period.

While much of the Northeast experienced extreme rainfall and flooding at the end of June many other areas continued below normal rain and snowfall.

As of June, 45 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in moderate-to- extreme drought, an increase of 6 percent from May.

Dry conditions spawned more than 50,000 wildfires, burning more than 3 million acres in the continental U.S., according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Worldwide, it was the sixth warmest year-to-date since record keeping began in 1880.
___
On the Net:
National Climatic Data Center: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov

[clynnc]

73. Global warming is a scientific truth

Global warming is true. It has happened many times during our planet's history. I think what you mean to say is "The idea that human beings are contributing to global warming is a myth." Is that what you meant to say? And if so, what are your credentials to make such a statement? Is that a an opinion, a joke? Do you know some little obscure geophysic fact that the entire scientific community is unaware of?

[TheMadMonk]

20. Well if we're going to weatherbate, Down here in Aus...

...we call the old ton (37.7C) a tad warm and 110F (43C) a bit of a stinker.

Neither is considered particularly unusual and it takes at least the latter to slow our kids down.

I do however, understand your concern. Such widespread heat is highly unusual. And I hope you don't have any Hurricanes brewing right now. That amount of warm (and presumably rising) air probably has quite a bit of meteorological "pull".


Global Warming is rearing its ugly head as we 'Chicken Littles' have been predicting for decades now. Time to begin the class actions against big oil.

[CatholicEdHead]

22. Well, it just happens to be winter down under right now

so you guys can complain about the cold and snow (snow in some parts of the country) and then complain about the heat while we freeze up here in the northern hempisphere.

[TheMadMonk]

23. Indeed it's been one of our coldest winters on record. However,

...when waving our cold affected tokleys at each other, I'll probably still be able to find something to wave so I'll concede the victory there.

I don't think there's a place down here where one really tinkles when tinkling.

[babylonsister]

25. OK, do I WANT to know what a tokley is, or should I use my

imagination? :evilgrin: That's a term I've never heard!

[TheMadMonk]

26. I susspect that your immagination is on the money.

It's that part of a gentleman's anatomy which retreats in the winter.

[babylonsister]

27. In the US, that's dicky-dunkin' time! No retreat, no surrender!

:D

[Floogeldy]

29. 103 in OKC today.

:grr:

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[shanti]

33. where's "here"?

???

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[shanti]

36. ahhh, ok

that explains it! ;)

[file83]

35. I think it's just west of there.

[dback]

71. Wait till this Friday in the Portland metro area

We start with 96, then Saturday is supposed to break 100. Lord knows what Sunday will bring. (I think my partner and I will try for a double feature on Saturday--lots of good movies opening, and it's an excuse to hide in the air conditioning.)

[shanti]

31. 106 at 6:15 pm here in sacramento, cali

it's supposed to be 108 tomorrow :( although fairly normal to be over 100 here in the summer, i HATE this kind of heat, and summer will usually find me INSIDE someplace cool, preferably HOME.

i'm looking forward to fall.

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Taoschick]

37. It's actually a big difference

Temperature wise, a 3,000 ft change in altitude marks a 12-15 degree change. I'm at about 7100 feet and with the exception of July, it's usually rather cool here at night. This weekend was pretty scorching though. It seemed a heck of a lot hotter than normal.

[jwirr]

43. They soldiers in Iraq have heat ranging between 105-120 daily.

One more reason to bring them home. They can get about the same thing here!

[greccogirl]

44. It's been hot here

In Georgia, but this is Georgia in July. What else can you expect? This summer has been warm but there have been much worse ones.

[IronLionZion]

52. Minnesota is hotter than India

but oh well, what can you do?

I'm going to have a significantly higher electric bill because I had to turn on the AC before it got real hot and leave it on because it's a small unit and easier to keep my apartment cool than to try to cool down a hot apartment.

And a bucket of ice in front of a fan

leaving the blinds closed

cold damp washcloths

swimming in our complex's pool was quite crowded so I left

no use of the stove or oven, microwave or cold food only

no caffeine or alcohol

lots of water, room temperature but not cold

and a buddy told me about holding some ice in your hand to cool down your whole body, it actually seems to work

[taught_me_patience]

56. if the U.S. were France...

850 people would be dead by now. On a serious note, it might be time to fire up the A.C. for the first time this year because it is hot hot hot (Los Angeles).

[Name removed]

62. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dkos refugee]

57. Power out?

is anyone predicting any power outtages?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

63. dkos refugee

to DU!

We're a bit more laid back here. :)

[samsingh]

60. will people listen to global warning warnings now?

we should draft Al Gore, make him take the Presidency, and have him solve this problem once and for all.

[clynnc]

74. No, it's more important that gays are not allowed to get married!

Obviously Americans believe that it is more important to prevent gays from getting married than it is to protect the future of the human race by reducing green house gases.
Go George!
Go away!

[samsingh]

78. more gays increase the odds for straight and bisexual men

Sorry, i'm just being silly.

[Odin2005]

61. It hit 100 recently in Fargo

First time since 1995. Thank God I have AC!

[distantearlywarning]

64. Hot as Hades here in Pittsburgh

And humid, which makes it 14 thousand times worse. High today was about 97, I think, with 60% humidity. I only have a small AC in the living room and was dying today. Yesterday was worse. I think it's supposed to cool off to the mere high 80's tomorrow.

[jkappy]

69. yes, the humidity is the oppressive factor

my cats are almost frothing at the mouth. one jumped into my fridge and was determined not to leave. no air cond. gonna be a tough nite, but only one more day of it, they tell us.

[WindRavenX]

70. 95 in Boston

AND NO AC IN MY DORM x(

[Pugee]

77. It's 85 degrees here at 10:19 in missouri

I do hear thunder in the distance, but the radar looks like thunderstorms are north of us.

[lovuian]

75. Global Warming is here... Maybe people will listen to Gore's

message... we have to decrease Co2 emissions...