Just about any way you slice it, the summer of 2009 has been exceptionally cool. The featured graphic tallies the number of days between 1 May and 9 Sep that had a high temperature below 80 degrees. With unofficial data, the total for 2009 dwarfs the next highest value and nearly doubles the average value. The next two highest years and lowest two years are shown for comparison. Cedar Rapids has a chance to hit 80 today!

Voting:
Good = 28
Bad = 5

Tags:   summer09  

Preliminary data suggests that Cedar Rapids has only seen 26 days with a high temperature above average since 1 May and that would be a record minimum for the time period up until 25 August. The next two lowest and two highest years are shown on the featured chart. 1988 was a very hot and dry year in Iowa with just a mere 17 days below average. The forecast for today places us around 80, but thunderstorms will prevent significant warm ups.

Voting:
Good = 20
Bad = 4

Tags:   summer09  

The featured chart is the yearly maximum stretch of days where the high temperature was 80+ °F for Ames. So far this year, we have seen a stretch of 13 days while all of 2008 only experienced an 11 day period. In general, the longest stretches were prior to the 1960s with 1936 having a 70 day period! Our forecast has highs in the 80s, but barely 80 for the weekend.

Voting:
Good = 18
Bad = 1

Tags:   summer  

Since the first of May, the warmest temperature recorded in Ames was 86 degrees back in mid May. This ranks as the third lowest high temperature for the period as compared with all other years back to 1893. It is disconcerting to see the years 1993 and 2008 (flood years) show up on this plot as well. There is some hope in the forecast for warmer weather with highs back in the 80s by Wednesday.

Voting:
Good = 16
Bad = 3

Tags:   summer09  

Maybe a feature about summer would help us to think warm thoughts and hopefully look forward to summer! The featured chart displays the number of days between the first and last occurance of 90+ degree temperature in Iowa. 2008 comes in as the second shortest season with only 100 days. Again, 1993 shows up prominently with 2008 in a chart. Of course, 90 degree temperatures are not in the immediate forecast, but let us hope for any number above freezing!

Voting:
Good = 32
Bad = 17

Tags:   2008   summer  

The featured chart is a histogram of the percentage of years that a 75+ degree dew point was observed per day since 1973. The frequency is roughly 1 in every 5 years during the summer with July having the most days.

Voting:
Good = 17
Bad = 11

Tags:   summer   dewpoint