July warmth record tied at Washington, D.C.

what did we need today for 83.2. I guess the two thunderstorms on Sunday and Thursday keep us from the record by itself

minerdude, we'd need 6 more degrees total to get to 83.2, so today a high of 92.

Ian, I marvel at your awesome math skills. Thank god you can field some of these statistical aspects & questions :-)

Glad to have statistical confirmation. That was a scorcher.
Bring on August.

Looks like some rain headed this direction. Nonetheless it feels so nice out leaving the windows open as I head off to sleep.

Yes, raining here east of Front Royal. Current temp 66.7F

So to miss tying the record, DCA would have to drop below 71 by 1:00a... I doubt that will happen... although doesn't the original record hold in the event of subsequent ties?

I thought meteorologists were all about meteorological seasons... if so, are you doing a disservice by calling attention to astronomical spring records?

They show 84.0 at 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00... but they're saying it hit 86 somewhere in there? What time was the measurement was taken? It would be neat to see a chart showing the temp for the complete day.

spgass1, that's true re: met seasons. When LWX issued the statement on spring I thought the same thing. Was the first time I recall seeing something like that, maybe just had some free time... BUT, I think it helps tell that it's been warm for quite a while now.

Mr. Q. and right-wing climate skeptics to the contrary, all this climatological data tends to prove there's something to Al Gore's climate arguments. Even during the winter, most of the world was warmer on average while we were having our snowstorms.

A newscaster on NBC4 this morning said July was actually 3 hundredths of a degree cooler than the previous record, but rounding is just done to the nearest tenth so the record is considered tied.

To par

(Ahem, trying again):
To paraphase Lloyd Bridges in Airplane! - Looks like I picked the wrong summer to quit AC! On the other hand, if I had AC today I wouldn't be appreciating the cool breeze from the open windows. I'll try to remember that when the humidity goes up this week!

spgass1, that's true. The sum of 1993s temps was 5152 compard top 5150 this yr. But it doesn't really make a difference.

Ian, I guess you're right. It's not like we're talking about a track and field record where someone's feelings might get hurt if their record said to be tied (but really wasn't).

As we discussed in the 1930's thread, it was pretty warm back then (naturally, not man made). Then we had a discussion about the record "spring" at the end of June where I tried to explain that heat island effects will create new high temperature records and Andrew countered that the world is warming when worldwide averages are computed.

When those averages are computed, they try to adjust for heat island and other siting issues. But it is impossible to adjust a record high average at one station for heat island effects. The biggest problem is the buildings and pavement hold the heat creating higher low temperatures at night.

In short, global warming can be shown with world wide averages properly adjusted. But one urban station with a new record average does not have those adjustments. The two remaining questions, both very long discussions, are: is the current warming catastrophic and will future warming be catastrophic.