Jeff Masters: Exceptional heat in the South

From Dr. Jeff Masters' wunderblog, June 6, 2011:


Exceptional heat in the South


A sizzling June heat wave set record high temperatures across much of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and the Florida Panhandle on Sunday. The high temperature at the Houston, Texas, airport hit 105 °F, the warmest temperature ever recorded in the month of June (old record: 104 °F on June 24th and June 26th, 2009). The earliest Houston ever recorded a temperature of 105 °F, prior to Sunday, was July 26th, 1954. Records for Houston date back to 1891. There have been only 15 days in which the temperature has reached or exceeded 105 °F in Houston:

4 - 1909
1 - 1954
2 - 1962
3 - 1980
5 - 2000

So far this month, new maximum temperature records in Houston have been established on four out of the first five days. Galveston and Houston both crushed their previous record high temperature for the day (June 5th) by a remarkable 7 °F. Residents can expect another day of triple-digit heat today, thanks to the upper level ridge of high pressure parked over the state. Houston will likely break the old record of 98 °F for the date.


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