Posted on 07/23/2009 4:50:41 PM PDT by Deadeye Division
SECOND-COOLEST JULY ON RECORD? Summer cold Thursday, July 23, 2009 3:20 AM By Timothy Magaw
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Columbus is on track to have its second-coolest July on record, according to the National Weather Service.
It's no arctic blast, but lower temperatures are affecting what we do, from turning off the air conditioning to staying away from the neighborhood pool.
This month's average, 70.5 degrees, is more than 4 degrees lower than usual. The last time it was that cool was in 1971.
The city's coldest July on record, in 1891, had an average temperature of 70 degrees.
These lower temperatures could lead to lower energy bills for people who opt to open the windows rather than blast the AC.
American Electric Power compiles the number of "cooling degree days," a measure that forecasts the energy demand for air conditioning each month.
AEP said there has been a 34 percent decrease in cooling degree days this month compared with July last year.
"The weather may be playing an important role in that, and the economy may be, too," said AEP.
The summer chill is also keeping people from dipping their toes in the water.
John Gannon, manager at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium's Zoombezi Bay water park, said attendance dropped by about 15 percent from last summer, its first year of operation.
The park has held "dive-in movies" at night to draw people into the heated pool.
"We still have some time to make most of that up if we would ever get back to a normal summer," Gannon said.
Amanda Besluiter, a manager at Northwest Swim Club on Bethel Road, said the club's attendance is down by about a third because of the weather.
"We've definitely had fewer people come by," she said.
Why does our late July feel like early June? Weather experts say a long area of low-atmospheric pressure along the East Coast is lowering temperatures.
"As for what's happening right now, it's atypical for this time of year, but it's happened before," said Nick Greenawalt, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
Rainfall in central Ohio is more than 4 inches below normal for the year and about 1.5 inches below normal for July, causing some lawns to start to brown.
It did rain yesterday, with the rainfall measuring 0.39 inches as of 9 p.m.
The cooler weather should help the lawns, said David Gardner, an associate professor of horticulture and crop management at Ohio State University.
Gardner said the grass in this part of the country tends to go dormant when temperatures exceed 80 degrees.
People should water their grass with an inch of water each week, Gardner said. The best time to water is early morning, so less moisture is lost to evaporation.
"If people are careful about their irrigation management, they should be able to keep the grass green pretty easily," he said.
tmagaw@dispatch.com
“The Planet has a chill!”
It was miserably hot here in Phoenix, but hardly record-setting.
It is THE coldest summer on record in Rochester NY
This has been an absolutely miserable summer (and in particular July) here in Scotland. Temperature is struggling just to break 60 lately.
Tight Lines!
Here in northern virginia, where the weather usually feels like viet nam in the summer, I’ve been in my pool exactly one time!
Here in northern virginia, where the weather usually feels like viet nam in the summer, I’ve been in my pool exactly one time!
Looks like you ain’t alone, weatherwise!
Here in Central Texas, we are on pace to shatter the record for most days above 100 degrees. Glad to hear it is cool somewhere.
16 straight days of +100 degrees here in Austin!!
16 straight days of +100 degrees here in Austin!!
“I keep records and this is the first July in the last few years I went fishing every weekend. We usually take off July because it is just too hot to be enjoyable. Water temp is still in the 70’s around here, usually in the mid to upper 80’s in July.
Tight Lines! “
Ditto up here in SE NY. Water Temp just broke 78-79 in the lakes I fish. Normally well into the 80’s by now.
It’s always coolest just before it gets warm. Climate change isn’t about warming, it makes temperature go crazy. Up and down, no one knowing where it’s gonna stop. Except that we know it’s gonna be warmer in the future. That’s a given. But in the meantime, who knows?
Aw, I give up.
Coldest July ever in West Michigan. Its been Fall since Spring. :)
Audubon, PA. Today. Just turned the heat on. Now at 63 degrees and dropping deep in July. ALGORE the Moron!
Low of 33 at Mount LeConte (in the Great Smokies) yesterday.
Hardly had to use the a/c in June in Fresno. July....well...112 last Sunday.
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