Rex Trulove
It isn’t at all unusual to have hot and dry weather in Montana in August. Our forecast for today in 104 F and tomorrow it is supposed to top 108 F. It is normally hotter than the official temperatures on our front porch, but again, there isn’t much that is unusual, though we had a much colder and wetter first half of the year.
It is interesting to look at the historical records, though. I haven’t done this in several months.
First, I should point out the danger of the dry heat we normally have in August. The heat usually occurs with very low humidity levels. Having 100+ F temperatures and a humidity of under 15% is common. This combination is exceptionally dangerous. When the humidity gets that low, sweat often evaporates before a person is even aware that they are sweating. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are very real dangers that can happen quickly. The fact is that we are under a heat advisory for exactly that reason. At noon today, our humidity was 25% and dropping.
So what about the historical records? The record for the hottest ninth of August occurred in 1928 when the temperature reached 100 F. If it reaches 104 today, like is forecast, it would break the record for the day by 4 degrees.
The record for the hottest temperature here for the entire month of August happened in 1961 when the temperature reached 106. If it does reach 108 tomorrow, it will break the record for the hottest tenth of August (set in 1935 at 104) as well as the hottest day in August.
What is a little deceptive is that so far this month, despite the heat, we’ve been well below record high temperature. Further, the forecast for Sunday is 81. We have a front coming in that should cool things down for several days and a drop of 20 degrees will be substantial.
Like people often do when it gets hot, plenty of people are complaining about the heat here. However, almost as many people are thankful that it isn’t like last year. This time last year, it was about 10 degrees cooler, but the air was so filled with smoke from major forest fires that it was difficult to breathe. Everything had a reddish hue from the sunlight coming through the smoke. Several days, the smoke was so dense that we couldn’t see across the street. More than once, we were also showered by glowing embers from the nearest fire, though it was over five miles away. Still, that fire was over 42,000 acres in size and was considered one of the smaller major blazes in the state.
This year, though we’ve had numerous fires, most of them have been kept to below a few hundred acres and there haven’t been any large fires locally. There is a smoky haze in the air, but it is mostly smoke that has blown in from fires that aren’t very close to us.
Incidentally, just to be fair, the record cold temperature for this date was 32 F, set in 1914. We are well above that mark, but it has been known to occasionally be cold in August here, too.
When it get hot in Lake Charles, it feels like an oven. The weather is supposed to have rain from rainy conditions that come from the Gulf of Mexico.
When the front comes through here on Saturday, we may get some rain too. Unfortunately, if we do, it will probably be from thunderstorms, which means the extreme possibility of fires.
I hope you are going to be safe this weekend.
The forecast for this weekend is much cooler. Yesterday did indeed break the record, though. It reached 108 degrees, with 9% humidity. The combination of high heat and extremely low humidity was what was extremely dangerous. I drank lots and lots of fluids and I suspect that others did the same. Thank you for the concern, though.
You are welcome Rex.
Saturday, the temperatures reached 102 with 10% humidity, but today, the temps are only supposed to get to 84. A month ago, I would have said that 84 was HOT. I now think of that as nice, cool weather. LOL
I see your point of view now our area is getting some light rain and clouds which lowered the extreme heat around the low 90s.
Very interesting. Living in an area where temps can range so widely keeps things interesting!
I agree about the smoke. It’s very difficult when the air is bad with it. Over a week ago friends in Colorado were warned of fire evacuation. The prayed and prepared. The Forestry Service checked on them to find that many, many horses and people were well prepared. Later they were all of full of many thanksgivings when rains came and prevented the evacuation and relieved those working against the fires..
That isn’t the first time I’ve heard of that happening in CO. The Evangelist, John Bevere, talked about something very similar that happened a number of years ago there. Prayer can do wonders.
Instead of going straight home, I zigzagged across the state of California last week and saw much smoke still lingering in the air from the many forest fires. The scenery was gorgeous but it was sad to see the air quality. Also sad to know that so many of the fires were set by arsonists.
Yes, that is sad. We lost 1.3 million acres last year, but virtually all of it was caused by lightning. The fires this year have also been lightning caused.
Five or six of those nearest my home were set by a serial arsonist who is allegedly now in custody.
I’m glad that they caught him/her. There is an enormous stigma attached here, even if the fire was accidentally started by a person. We have enough fires from lightning as it is, without adding to it.
The weather is like a roller coaster everywhere it seems. From one extreme to another.
The weird thing is that the net result is almost certainly going to be another year with below average temperatures, here. That would make five of the last six years when that has happened. Having several days of above average temps simply doesn’t offset having several weeks of below average temps.
I understand and am so ready for fall weather.
It is ‘only’ 103 on our front porch, in the shade. I KNEW there was a reason I chose not to move to Phoenix. lol
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are very real dangers that can happen quickly.Firefighters and ambulance have full-time jobs.
That is quite true. I still prefer the heat to the smoke, though.