Hot Air Statistics
Statistics was not my favorite college class, but occasionally statistics tell an interesting story. I learned at the National Weather Service website that 2008 is an unusual year in that it is already July 17, and the temperature has never yet reached 100 degrees in Wichita. The average date for this to occur is July 7. In 1967, the earliest 100-degree-day ever recorded occurred on May 10. Last year it happened on August 7. The past two years suggest that, locally, we're in a cooling cycle, with 1967 having been the heat peak.
However, other statistics tell a different story. Since 1934, there have been 10 years with notable heat. Each of these 10 years surpasses all previous-to-1934 years on record with either the total number of days over 100 degrees, or the number of consecutive days over 100 degrees. Two of those years happened close together, in 1934 (Total: 40) and 1936 (Total: 50). They were the first hot-weather couple of years. Two others were spaced at roughly 20 year intervals after that, in 1954 (42) and 1978 (42). 1978 and 1980 were another hot-weather couple of years. 1980 saw 46 days of over 100 degrees. Except for one day when the temperature climbed only to 98 degrees, 27 of those days were consecutive.
I remember those later years, especially 1980. One day after another of brassy blue skies, brilliant sunshine, and dry, hot winds. We had no air conditioning at our house, and nights didn't cool off much.
We got married the following summer, on July 25, and, with the previous summer fresh on our minds, we couldn't bear the thought of planning any part of the festivities in a non-air-conditioned building, so we did not get married in our home church.
Nineteen thirty-four, when my father was seven years old, must have been a doozy. Except for a 10-day break about midway through the period, the temperature was over 100 degrees every day from July 10-August 12. Nineteen thirty-six had 20 consecutive days over 100, and 50 total. No wonder those years are still known as the Dirty Thirties--because of all the real estate that changed hands, courtesy of the wind rearranging and transporting the upper soil layers . Reflecting on this almost makes the planting, in subsequent years, of all those horribly weak-wooded, but fast-growing and drought-tolerant Siberian elms seem forgiveable. Something was desperately needed to slow down the wind and protect the soil and crops.
My mother tells me that the summer I was born, in June, 1952, was the beginning of a drought lasting several years. Apparently 1954 was the peak of that stretch of hot, dry weather.
Back to the record years. . . With a ten-year hiatus following 1980, the other five record-setting years have all taken place since 1990 (one 13 day stretch and one 8 day stretch), and in 1991 (8)--couple number 3; 2000 (16), 2001 (8), and 2003 (9)--a threesome of hot-weather years.
The first two couples occurred 44 years apart. The next occurrence of couple years happened only ten years later. The threesome occurred after another ten years. The intervals have shrunk. This suggests a warming trend.
Back in 1980, we were just hearing the first talk of global warming. As far as I know it was not a political hot-button issue. We didn't know it was something you believed in or scoffed at. The main thing everyone knew for sure was that this was a miserably hot summer, and we didn't want another one like it.
Then again, if politicians were talking about it, we may not have noticed. The whole countryside was already saturated with hot air anyway.
Note: The above statistics were taken from http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ict/?n=climate100degrees
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=ict&storyid=16740&source=0
However, other statistics tell a different story. Since 1934, there have been 10 years with notable heat. Each of these 10 years surpasses all previous-to-1934 years on record with either the total number of days over 100 degrees, or the number of consecutive days over 100 degrees. Two of those years happened close together, in 1934 (Total: 40) and 1936 (Total: 50). They were the first hot-weather couple of years. Two others were spaced at roughly 20 year intervals after that, in 1954 (42) and 1978 (42). 1978 and 1980 were another hot-weather couple of years. 1980 saw 46 days of over 100 degrees. Except for one day when the temperature climbed only to 98 degrees, 27 of those days were consecutive.
I remember those later years, especially 1980. One day after another of brassy blue skies, brilliant sunshine, and dry, hot winds. We had no air conditioning at our house, and nights didn't cool off much.
We got married the following summer, on July 25, and, with the previous summer fresh on our minds, we couldn't bear the thought of planning any part of the festivities in a non-air-conditioned building, so we did not get married in our home church.
Nineteen thirty-four, when my father was seven years old, must have been a doozy. Except for a 10-day break about midway through the period, the temperature was over 100 degrees every day from July 10-August 12. Nineteen thirty-six had 20 consecutive days over 100, and 50 total. No wonder those years are still known as the Dirty Thirties--because of all the real estate that changed hands, courtesy of the wind rearranging and transporting the upper soil layers . Reflecting on this almost makes the planting, in subsequent years, of all those horribly weak-wooded, but fast-growing and drought-tolerant Siberian elms seem forgiveable. Something was desperately needed to slow down the wind and protect the soil and crops.
My mother tells me that the summer I was born, in June, 1952, was the beginning of a drought lasting several years. Apparently 1954 was the peak of that stretch of hot, dry weather.
Back to the record years. . . With a ten-year hiatus following 1980, the other five record-setting years have all taken place since 1990 (one 13 day stretch and one 8 day stretch), and in 1991 (8)--couple number 3; 2000 (16), 2001 (8), and 2003 (9)--a threesome of hot-weather years.
The first two couples occurred 44 years apart. The next occurrence of couple years happened only ten years later. The threesome occurred after another ten years. The intervals have shrunk. This suggests a warming trend.
Back in 1980, we were just hearing the first talk of global warming. As far as I know it was not a political hot-button issue. We didn't know it was something you believed in or scoffed at. The main thing everyone knew for sure was that this was a miserably hot summer, and we didn't want another one like it.
Then again, if politicians were talking about it, we may not have noticed. The whole countryside was already saturated with hot air anyway.
Note: The above statistics were taken from http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ict/?n=climate100degrees
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=ict&storyid=16740&source=0
posted by Mrs. I at
2:45 PM
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