Okay, because people have been asking... here are the numbers for this summer (through August 27th), keeping in mind that 90-degree days are always possible well into September. They are rare in April and October but not impossible.
2010:
Days 90 degrees or higher: 16
Days 85 degrees or higher: 60
August temps are 2.5 degrees above the 30-year average.
2009:
Days 90 degrees or higher: 5
Days 85 degrees or higher: 34
The Columbus area averages about 16 days per year at 90 degrees or higher. The 30-year averages look like this:
May = 0.5 days
Jun = 3.5 days
Jul = 6.2 days
Aug = 4.3 days
Sep = 1.2 days
Remember, these are just averages. Each year can vary with more or fewer 90-degree days.
So, why did 2010 feel so much hotter and more miserable? Blame the higher dew points, i.e. humidity. The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Wilmington, Ohio, looked at the dew points at the Cincinnati Airport (CVG) recorded each hour for the past 60 years. They found that this summer has had some of the highest average dew points... ever. With more humidity in the air, the high temperatures feel even hotter. We use the Heat Index to measure just how miserable it feels.
Here's a link to the Heat Index chart.
When we have a 90-degree air temperature and the dew point is 75, the relative humidity is about 60 percent, and it feels like it's about 100 degrees. That's just steamy and miserable. When the humidity is 70 percent, the air feels like about 105 degrees and every pore in your body screams for relief. We spent a lot of this summer with unusually-high dew points (high humidity).
Since our dew points and our temperatures have been so high this summer, it has felt hotter, steamier and more oppressive than in past years.
2010:
Days 90 degrees or higher: 16
Days 85 degrees or higher: 60
August temps are 2.5 degrees above the 30-year average.
2009:
Days 90 degrees or higher: 5
Days 85 degrees or higher: 34
The Columbus area averages about 16 days per year at 90 degrees or higher. The 30-year averages look like this:
May = 0.5 days
Jun = 3.5 days
Jul = 6.2 days
Aug = 4.3 days
Sep = 1.2 days
Remember, these are just averages. Each year can vary with more or fewer 90-degree days.
So, why did 2010 feel so much hotter and more miserable? Blame the higher dew points, i.e. humidity. The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Wilmington, Ohio, looked at the dew points at the Cincinnati Airport (CVG) recorded each hour for the past 60 years. They found that this summer has had some of the highest average dew points... ever. With more humidity in the air, the high temperatures feel even hotter. We use the Heat Index to measure just how miserable it feels.
Here's a link to the Heat Index chart.
When we have a 90-degree air temperature and the dew point is 75, the relative humidity is about 60 percent, and it feels like it's about 100 degrees. That's just steamy and miserable. When the humidity is 70 percent, the air feels like about 105 degrees and every pore in your body screams for relief. We spent a lot of this summer with unusually-high dew points (high humidity).
Since our dew points and our temperatures have been so high this summer, it has felt hotter, steamier and more oppressive than in past years.
2 comments:
Your the Best McMarshall!!!..sure makes sense...lol.
Thanks. I thought the actual temps weren't that far off average. Hope next summer is back to normal dew pts.
Becky
Post a Comment