HEAT- A blistering record hot Summer for many !


It certainly felt like Summer this year here in N.IL after a slow start. Here in RFD we reached 45 straight days above 80 and 25  days at 90 or more. We also hit 100 twice in a row . 1 tied a record in the 30s. the first since 1988. Heat indexes were well over 100 in the 110 area and above.

Forecast Heat index-- 

The humidity was also significant. our highest was 82 which was near the all time record of 83.
Acc to the NWS-
THE AVERAGE HOURLY DEWPOINT IN ROCKFORD DURING THE MONTH OF JULY
2011 WAS 70.01F...MAKING IT THE FIRST TIME DATING BACK TO 1980
THAT THE AVERAGE MONTHLY DEWPOINT IN JULY HAS BEEN OVER 70F.


Still this was pale in comparison to the S. plains heat--temps well into 100s like 115 at Fort Smith AR for instance and in TX Dallas and Waco were above 100 for well over 1 month and 2 months respectively.

More links:


http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/ilx/pdf/summer11logs.pdf


http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/20110808_julystats.html


http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/?n=summertimetemp_facts