Weather by the Numbers–6/23/09

* 0 is how much rain Houston has received so far this month. (Well, they did get a sprinkle.)

* 4.10 inches is how much rain Houston averages receiving for the first 22 days of June. Their deficiency for this year now stands at 6.02 inches. Many other parts of South Texas are also dry.

* 550.5 is the latest lake level for Lake Purdy–one of the main sources of water for the Birmingham Metro Area. That is only 1/2 foot below full pool. We are doing well so far this year.

* 1.63 inches is the rain surplus for 2009 as of today at Birmingham Airport.

* 109 was the hottest temperature in the USA yesterday in California. They did not say where in California, but I feel sure it was probably Death Valley.

* 24 degrees (a hard freeze) was the coldest in the lower 48 this morning at Stanley, Idaho. Very cool weather continues through much of the Rockies and the Pacific Northwest. A low of 25 was expected this morning in Yellowstone National Park.

* 92 days comprise summer in Alabama. That is assuming that June, July and August make up summer. At Birmingham, in past history, 71 of those 92 days sport record highs of 100 or above.

* 59 of the 62 days in July and August have recorded 100 or higher. (We can consider July and August the heart of our summer, even though the highest temperature ever in the entire state of Alabama occurred on September 5, 1925 at Centreville. It was 112 when air conditioning was virtually unheard of.)

* 94 was the high in Minneapolis yesterday as the heat begins to spread further north. They expect 95 this afternoon.

* 100 was the expected high in Oklahoma City this afternoon and again tomorrow. It is a similar story in Dallas/Ft. Worth and Austin.

* 93 is the forecast high tomorrow in Chicago as the Windy City finally warms up.

* 21-27 of June represents this week’s Lightning Safety Awareness Week. NWS chose the motto, “When the thunder roars, go indoors.” As I have said many times before, the thunder does not have to roar at me, it only needs to whisper. This is lightning safety rule number 4 for this year’s emphasis: “Get out of the water. It is a great conductor of electricity. Get out of small boats and canoes and stay away from pools and lakes, Lightning can strike the water and travel some distance from its point of contact. (Yep, lightning is frightening)

* 23 inches was the total snow amount in January 1940 at Reform in West Alabama. Reform is in Northern Pickens County on US-82. (We just had to menton at least one item to cool you off.)

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