Around here it is known as normal weather. Some of you know all about that sort of thing. Some don't (like yswami in Hawaii). Our current temp is 65. Yesterday we had a heat index of 99 or so. That two or three inches of rain that started around 8:30 last evening had something to do with the big drop.
The record high for today's date is 105 and the record low is 52. Those happened back in 1918 and 1915, but I can imagine it happening the same day. Our normal temp range for July 7 is 89 to 69. Yesterday the actual temperatures were 91 to 71 so that would be terribly close to normal. Today's high is expected to be 69.
Definitely not a typical July so far. A "usual" summer around here includes a slightly wet June, followed by sixty days of the hottest hell any man every endured. June was month it clouded up and rained just as you got off work and rained most of the evening 'til the sun went down. The next day was sunny and steamy and MUDDY. July and August actually got tolerable after all the lush moisture was burned out of all the vegetation. When I say tolerable, I'm talking about concrete still too hot to walk on at 11PM, a low of 85 and a high off 105. At least the humidity of June was gone, though.
This year I'm afraid it's going to take a lot of sunshine to wring out the 20+ inches of rain we've received in the last thirty days. It's gonna be a steamy mess. It has to stop raining first, but that won't happen today. 3 to 5 inches predicted for today. Probably shouldn't have sold the boat. The lakes are full and fishing might be the only escape....
Following an unusually dry winter and spring we have had a couple of weeks of very hot weather for Portland. Daily highs in the mid 90°'s, touching 100° a couple of times. Usual highs for late June/early July is generally around 80°F. Not many have air conditioning in their homes here. Commonly we get a day or 2 like this in mid August, not 2 weeks. Supposed to be a break by the weekend.
I've got relatives in Cudahy, WI..right on Lake Michigan. I've seen a warm day or two there in July and August, but generally the lake keeps the temps fairly moderate, especially for a guy that lives in 100° temps in the summer. Air conditioners are not really all that common up there either. I was talking to them the other evening and when I told them how hot it's been they asked, "Have you turned your AC on yet (eh)?"
I didn't have the heart to tell them that if it's after February down here, the AC is pretty much on all the time...except for when tornadoes knock the power off.
