Summer Forecast
The first day of summer was June 21st and true to form the Uniontown area recorded a high temperature of 90 degrees.
The area has already had six days of 90 degrees or better, two in May and four in June. The interesting thing about the 90-plus weather was that it was quickly followed by a visit of cool air from Canada that quickly chased away the hot air that wanted to stick around.
Normally we receive nine days of 90 or better each summer. You may recall last year we had a total of 12 of these days.
The cool air that replaced the hot and humid air was cool enough to drop temperatures into the 40s and a record was tied in Pittsburgh with 44 degrees on Sunday morning.
Average temperatures in Uniontown for July are a high of 82 and a low of 62. Records are 37 and 102. The interesting fact about the record high and low is that they occurred within two days of each other. On July 1st of 1988 the low was 37 and the next day the temperature soared all the way to the 102 record for July 2nd of 1988.
I remember this day so well since my granddaughter Ashli was born on that date and later we attended the concert by the “Beach Boys” at the old Civic Arena in Pittsburgh and they opened the roof and the floor where we sat was covered with sand and palm trees.
One hundred degree weather is rare in this area and that same July 1988 was to see 37 days with temperatures above 90 and both July 2nd and the 17th had the 102 reading. The remaining 100-plus days were recorded in the 1930s with July 9th of 1936 reaching 100 followed by July 10 with 102 and the 14th reaching 101.
The 1930s also produced a record of 100 on July 20, 1930 and 102 on July 21st and again on the 26th in 1934. August recorded only one day of 100 degree heat in Uniontown when the temperature soared to 102 on August 4th of 1975. September and all the other months have not registered any 100 degree weather.
Records in Uniontown go back to 1913 and I am sure in recent years we have all seen unofficial readings on bank thermometers or in our cars of 100 or better.
So what lies ahead for the area in the way of heat and extreme temperatures?
The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting the next 10 days to see temperatures close to the normal as well as rainfall. Longer term they are looking for most of the country to see above normal temperatures and rainfall to be sparse in the middle of the states with above normal along the Atlantic Coast states.
Our area should see temperatures in the above category and rainfall about average. One bright spot is for above average rainfall in the Southwest but higher than normal temperatures.
The drought that has developed in the west should continue from Oregon and California eastward to South Dakota and southward to Texas. On July 9th last summer Furnace Creek, California set a new world’s record for heat with a temperature of 130 degrees. The previous record of 134 at the same location was decertified after a thorough confirmation process and the new record has been approved by the World Meteorological Organization.
If you don’t like the heat, remember our mountains just east of Uniontown rarely record a temperature of 90, and 100 is unheard of. Judging by the number of out-of-state plates in the summer a lot of folks already know that.
Have a great summer.