As of the September 1, 2012, there have been 67 90°F+ days – far and away the record number for one calendar year. That is 6 more than the previous record of 61 set in 2000!
The list of the number of 90°F+ days in a year can be found at this NWS link.
Here is the breakdown of 90°F+ days per month in 2012 (to date):
17 in June (6 of those were 100°F+ days; 2 of those tying Denver’s all-time maximum temperature of 105°F)
27 in July (7 of those were 100°F+ days)
20 in August (thankfully none of them 100°F+ days, although 4 of them were 98°F and another 3 were 97°F)
August 2012 went down in Denver history as the 5th warmest and 4th driest on record. The average temperature for the entire month was 75.0°F, 2°F cooler than August 2011. The total rainfall for the month occurred during one storm – 0.11″. That monthly total is 1.58″ below the monthly average and 0.09″ more than the driest August on record in 1924.
Today and the next two days are forecasted to be 90°F+, followed by two days of mid-80s. It would be incredibly significant if 2012 recorded 1/6 more 90°F+ days as the previous record. This week might not see all of the 90°F+ days (although I certainly hope they end on Tuesday!) as short heat waves can set up in mid-September. Many folks along the Front Range are looking forward to autumn.
September 3, 2012 at 3:19 am
And so it goes on? Wow! I keep assuming the heatwave has come to an end. Thanks for continually reminding me that it has not. Facing up to this kind of reality drives home the urgency of the need for as many people as possible to generate their own electricity. Only then will it become feasible (and/or survivable) for the use of air conditioning units to become more prevalent and more persistent.
Power rationing and rolling blackouts (already a reality in less developed countries) must surely become the norm for us all (i.e. in the US, UK and EU) unless micro-generation takes the pressure off our out-dated and inadequate distribution infrastructure? May be then people will take the reality of anthropogenic climate disruption seriously?
September 4, 2012 at 11:15 am
Unfortunately, yes – on and on it goes. The past 10 days or so have all been +10°F above normal – quite warm considering the time of year. The problem is the nights haven’t cooled off this year like they normally do. So there is little to no relief from the daytime highs, which constantly threaten daily records.
So far, electric supply has kept up with demand. But I agree that the age of the infrastructure is a massive problem. If blackouts occur with the type of frequency that is threatened under power demand growth and increased temperatures, we’re surely not prepared to handle it. I am a step ahead of most with a solar PV system, but it is grid-tied, so if the grid goes down, I couldn’t use the energy the panels generate. We need that next generation of infrastructure deployed, but I don’t see it happening any time soon in this political and economic climate. To your last question, most people want their elected officials to do something about the climate, but those officials have not yet responded. Perhaps power disruptions in developed countries will help convince officials to do more than give the problem lip service.
September 16, 2012 at 7:53 pm
hello, i am playing an ARG (game) concerning ice in the arctic, the game uses an image from your blog, can i ask are you involved in the game somehow?
all the game information is here if you care to check http://www.otp22.com
As arctic ice is a special interest of yours I thought I would ask if you knew about it or could shed any light on the factors in the game. Thank you.