by Bill Evans
South Dakota
91.9°F (33.3°C)
Fort Pierre
Tennessee
92.1°F (33.4°C)
Memphis
Texas
103.4°F (39.7°C)
Castolon
Utah
102.8°F (39.3°C)
St. George
Vermont
83.8°F (28.8°C)
Vernon
Virginia
91.1°F (32.8°C)
Stony Creek
Washington
91.0°F (32.8°C)
Smyrna
West Virginia
89.4°F (31.9°C)
Williamson
Wisconsin
85.6°F (29.8°C)
Lake Geneva
Wyoming
90.7°F (32.6°C)
Whalen
* * *
* * *
You Are on Fiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrre!! All-Time Record Highs
STATE
TEMPERATURE
LOCATION
Alabama
112°F (44°C)
Centerville
Alaska
100°F (38°C)
Fort Yukon
Arizona
128°F (53°C)
Lake Havasu City
Arkansas
120°F (49°C)
Ozark
California
134°F (57°C)
Death Valley
Colorado
118°F (48°C)
Bennett
Connecticut
106°F (41°C)
Danbury
Delaware
110°F (43°C)
Millsboro
Florida
109°F (43°C)
Monticello
Georgia
112°F (44°C)
Greenville
Hawaii
100°F (38°C)
Pahala
Idaho
118°F (48°C)
Orofino
Illinois
117°F (47°C)
East St. Louis
Indiana
116°F (47°C)
Collegeville
Iowa
118°F (48°C)
Keokuk
Kansas
121°F (49°C)
Alton
Kentucky
114°F (46°C)
Greensburg
Louisiana
114°F (46°C)
Plain Dealing
Maine
105°F (41°C)
North Bridgton
Maryland
109°F (43°C)
Cumberland
Massachusetts
107°F (42°C)
New Bedford
Michigan
112°F (44°C)
Mio
Minnesota
114°F (46°C)
Moorhead
Mississippi
115°F (46°C)
Holly Springs
Missouri
118°F (48°C)
Warsaw
Montana
117°F (47°C)
Medicine Lake
Nebraska
118°F (48°C)
Minden
Nevada
125°F (52°C)
Laughlin
New Hampshire
106°F (41°C)
Nashua
New Jersey
110°F (43°C)
Runyon
New Mexico
122°F (50°C)
Waste ISO Plant
New York
108°F (42°C)
Troy
North Carolina
110°F (43°C)
Fayetteville
North Dakota
121°F (49°C)
Steele
Ohio
113°F (45°C)
Gallipolis
Oklahoma
120°F (49°C)
Tipton
Oregon
119°F (48°C)
Pendleton
Pennsylvania
111°F (44°C)
Phoenixville
Rhode Island
104°F (40°C)
Providence
South Carolina
111°F (44°C)
Camden
South Dakota
120°F (49°C)
Usta
Tennessee
113°F (45°C)
Perryville
Texas
120°F (49°C)
Seymour
Utah
117°F (47°C)
St. George
Vermont
105°F (41°C)
Vernon
Virginia
110°F (43°C)
Balcony Falls
Washington
118°F (48°C)
Ice Harbor Dam
West Virginia
112°F (44°C)
Martinsburg
Wisconsin
114°F (46°C)
Wisconsin Dells
Wyoming
115°F (46°C)
Basin
* * *
* * *
It’s Blow-Torchin’, Flame-Throwin’ Hot!—World Record High Temperatures
COUNTRY
TEMPERATURE
LOCATION
Africa
Libya
136.4°F (58.0°C)*
Al Aziziyah
Algeria
135°F (57°C)
Tindouf
Egypt
124°F (51°C)
Aswan
Morocco
122°F (50°C)
Quazartzate
Niger
122°F (50°C)
Agadez
Ethiopia
121°F (49°C)
Dallol
Mozambique
120°F (49°C)
Zumboa
Senegal
120°F (49°C)
Matam and Kaolak
Namibia
118°F (48°C)
Noordoewer
Zimbabwe
117°F (47°C)
Beitbridge
Cameroon
115°F (46°C)
Maroua
Swaziland
115°F (46°C)
Dearn
Botswana
111°F (44°C)
Gabarone and Ghanzi
Sierra Leone
111°F (44°C)
Kabala
Angola
110°F (43°C)
Dondo
Canary Islands
109°F (43°C)
Santa Cruz
Liberia
109°F (43°C)
Sagleipie
Cape Verde
108°F (42°C)
Praia
Kenya
105°F (41°C)
Garissa
Tanzania
103°F (39°C)
Moshi
Rwanda
96°F (36°C)
Kigali
North America
United States
134°F (57°C)
Death Valley, CA
Mexico
124°F (51°C)
Mexicali
Canada
113°F (45°C)
Midale and Yellow Grass, SK
Cuba
108°F (42°C)
Sagua de Tanamo
Greenland
86°F (30°C)
Ivigtut
Asia
Israel
129°F (54°C)
Tirat Tsvi
Iran
128.3°F (53.5°C)
Ahwaz
Pakistan
127°F (53°C)
Jacobabdad
Iraq
126°F (52°C)
Ash Shu’aybah
Kuwait
125°F (52°C)
Kuwait City
Saudi Arabia
125°F (52°C)
Abaiq
Afghanistan
>
124°F (51°C)
Zaranj
India
123°F (51°C)
Alwar
China
121°F (49°C)
Turpan
Jordan
121°F (49°C)
Aqaba
Syria
121°F (49°C)
Hassakah
Kazakhstan
120.5°F (49°C)
Turkestan
Vietnam
109°F (43°C)
Hanoi and Lao Cai
Korea
108°F (42°C)
Chain, S. Korea
Philippines
108°F (42°C)
Tuguegarao
Cambodia
107°F (42°C)
Stoeng Treng
Japan
106°F (41°C)
Yamagata
Malaysia
105°F (41°C)
Chuping
Sri Lanka
104°F (40°C)
Anuradhapura
Singapore
100°F (38°C)
Paya Lebar
Oceania and the Poles
Australia
123.3°F (50.7°C)
Oodnadatta
New Zealand
108°F (42°C)
Rangiora and Jordan
Antarctica
59.3°F (15°C)
Bases Orcadas and Marambio South Pole
North Pole
39°F (4°C)
North Pole
Europe
Portugal
123°F (51°C)
Los Riodades
Spain
122°F (50°C)
Seville
Italy
119°F (48°C)
Catenanuovo, Sicily
France
111.5°F (44.2°C)
Conqueyrac
Russia
109°F (43°C)
Elista
Hungary
108°F (42°C)
Bekescsaba
Switzerland
106.7°F (41.5°C)
Grono
Germany
104.5°F (40.3°C)
Perl-Nenning
Poland
104°F (40°C)
Prószków
Austria
103.5°F (39.7°C)
Dellach im Drautal
Belgium
102°F (39°C)
Haacht
Holland
101.5°F (38.6°C)
Warnsveld
Great Britain
101.3°F (38.5°C)
Brogdale
Sweden
100.4°F (38°C)
Ultuna, & Malilla
Denmark
98°F (37°C)
Holstebro
Finland
97°F (36°C)
Turku
Norway
96.1°F (35.6°C)
Nesbyen
South and Central America
Argentina
120.4°F (49.1°C)
Villa de Maria
Bolivia
117°F (47°C)
Villa Montes
Brazil
113°F (45°C)
Bom Jesus do Piaui
Paraguay
113°F (45°C)
Pedro Pena
Uruguay
113°F (45°C)
Melo
El Salvador
112.5°F (44.7°C)
San Miquel
Guatemala
111°F (44°C)
La Fragua
Honduras
111°F (44°C)
San Pedro Sula
Venezuela
109.5°F (43.1°C)
Guanare
Colombia
109°F (43°C)
Barrancabermeja
Costa Rica
108°F (42°C)
Puntarenas
Peru
108°F (42°C)
Pucallpa
Nicaragua
107.5°F (41.9°C)
Chinandega
Chile
107°F (41°C)
Los Angeles
Ecuador
104°F (40°C)
San Lorenzo
Panama
104°F (40°C)
San Francisco
* * *
Sandblasted and Dusted Off!!
A sandstorm or dust storm is a wild meteorological phenomenon. In the Sudan a sandstorm is called a haboob. In the Sahara, a simoom. The term sandstorm is most often used to describe desert sandstorms where the sand is blown about close to the surface. The term dust storm is usually used when finer particles are blown for long distances. Dust storms are generally associated with urban areas.
Both kinds of storms occur when the air is very dry and the winds are strong enough to loosen sand or dust from the surface of the ground. The wind carries away the sand and dust, eroding the soil in one place and depositing it in another.
A sandstorm can move whole sand dunes. A dust storm can carry such large amounts of dust that it can reach a mile high. Levels of Saharan dust coming off the east coast of Africa in 2007 were the highest since 1999. This was enough dust to cool the Atlantic waters, reducing the amount of hurricanes that normally would be produced in that area.
National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce
Sydney Oats; used by permission.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce
Dust storms have a huge negative economic impact in areas where they remove soil full of nutrient-rich particles, reducing food production. However, dust storms can also be beneficial. In Central and South America, the rain forests get their nutrients from the Sahara. Plus, dust in Hawaii increases plant growth. “I would hang ten, but I’ve got these plants growing all over my surfboard, dude!”
The Answer, My Friend, Is Blowin’ in the Wind
This is an account written by Vance Johnson, who witnessed a dust storm in western Kansas in the 1930s:
The darkness was dust. The windows turned solid pitch; even flower boxes six inches beyond the pane were shut from view. Dust sifted into houses, through cracks around the doors and windows—so thick even in well-built homes a man in a chair across the room became a blurred outline. Sparks flew between pieces of metal and men got a shock when they touched the plumbing. It hurt to breathe, but a damp cloth held over mouth and nose helped for a while. Food on tables freshly set for dinner was ruined. Milk turned black. Bed, rugs, furniture, clothes in closets, and food in the refrigerator were covered with a film of dust. Its acrid odor came out of pillows for days afterward.
What the Hail Is That?
Those really nice warm days of summer can turn out some really nice-size thunderstorms that produce not only torrents of rain, wind, lightning, and tornadoes, but also hail. Yes, ice that falls from the sky, sometimes in amazing sizes. There’s pea-, dime-, quarter-, golf ball-, baseball-, and grapefruit-size hail. My favorite is canned-ham size!
That’s big!
Hail is not to be confused with sleet. The easiest way to remember the difference is that hail falls in the summer and sleet falls in the winter. Sleet is also a lot smaller than hail.
Hail is formed in spring and summer from tremendous cumulonimbus clouds known as thunderheads. Cumulonimbus clouds harbor a vast amount of energy in the form of updrafts and downdrafts. These vertical winds can reach speeds of over 110 mph. Hail grows in the main updraft, where most of the cloud is formed of what’s called “supercooled” water. This is water that remains liquid although its temperature is at or below freezing (32ºF/0°C). A supercooled water drop remains liquid until it encounters something solid on which it can freeze. Ice crystals, frozen raindrops, dust, and salt from the ocean are also present in the cloud. Supercooled water will freeze onto any of these hosts, creating a hailstone or enlarging hailstones that already exist.
Hailstones are usually formed
in layers as they bounce around inside the cloud, with supercooled water accumulating and freezing at different rates in different locations. The more supercooled water a hailstone comes in contact with, the larger and heavier the stone is likely to become. When the hailstone becomes so heavy that the updraft can no longer support it, it falls from the sky.
Hail falls along paths called hail swaths, which vary in size from a few square acres to 10 miles wide and even 100 miles long. Hail can accumulate in piles so deep it has to be removed by a snowplow! In Orient, Iowa, in August 1980, hail drifts were reported to be 6 feet (2 meters) deep. On July 11, 1990, softball-size hail fell in Denver, Colorado, and caused $625 million in damage, mostly to automobiles and the roofs of buildings. Forty-seven people at an amusement park were seriously injured when a power failure trapped them on a Ferris wheel and they were battered by softball-size hail.
