Media Myth Debunked: Almost No Temperature Records Broken in Last Week's 'Record-Breaking Heat'

Newsbusters ^ | 7/24/11 | Noel Sheppard

[Nachum]

All last week, global warming-obsessed media were rife with reports about record-breaking heat. Problem is, according to the National Climatic Data Center, and marvelously reported by the Hockey Schtick Sunday, almost no temperature records were actually broken: [T]he NOAA database of all-time Max Temperature...shows that there were no records broken on July 17, July 18, July 19, or July 20th. A total of 4 stations broke records on July 21, 20 on July 22, and 10 on July 23, 2011. That's right. There were only 34 new all-time daily temperature records set during last week's "record-breaking heat." (Snip) As you

[Bean Counter]

It was 86 here today in the Pacifist Northwest, and nobody I know has been complaining. We have not had a 90 degree day yet, and the temps won’t get out of the high seventies for most of this week.

In any case, it is July, and the weather is supposed to be hot this time of year...just like it is supposed to be cold and snowy in many places during the Winter.

As I get older this ongoing seasonal argument gets more and more tedious....

[cripplecreek]

We topped out at 98 degrees in my corner of Michigan. The record for this area was set in the 1930s at 100 degrees.

[B4Ranch]

Was there a global warming threat in the thirties too? I guess with the depression, folks just never got around to worrying about it.

[griswold3]

My uncle talked about the hottest summer he could remember was 1934. It was 113 degrees in Galliopolis, Ohio and they didn’t have air conditioning.

[Skip Ripley]

I live in Michigan about 8 miles north of the Ohio line...we topped 100 once last week, but the area hadn’t topped 100 since 1995, so I guess that’s kinda big..I think we get about 10-12 90 degree days a year around here normally...we’ve probably got close to 20 right now. We’re used to it getting this hot, but not this hot this often. The heat and lack of rain have wiped out the mosquitos..that’s nice.

[Nonsense Unlimited]

We haven’t broken any records here in my spot in WI, but it sure has been stinking hot and humid the last week or so.

I’m starting to miss the snow.

[cripplecreek]

The record high and low for all of Michigan were set two years apart. -51 in February 1934 and 112 in July 1936.

[Outlaw Woman]

It's been in the high 90's here but it's "feels like" 150 *snicker*

[Doogle]

"thats why we have the magic word "index"..makes you feel like 200 degrees....awwww go eat your peas!"

[West Texas Chuck]

Yeah, the mosquitos here in north Texas have laid way down over the last month or so of 100s every day.

For a while there, you couldn’t stand still in the middle of the afternoon without getting swarmed.

I for one welcome our Record Heat Overlords.

[Maverick68]

b

[norwaypinesavage]

There have been temperature data in the US since the late 1800's - say 140 years. There are two temperatures recorded each day, a high and a low. So for every day, there are 280 temperatures in the data base at each station.

If the data were all random, then there would be 2 chances in 280 of setting a new record on every given day. Since there are 365 days in every year, every station would be expected to set a new record 2/280*365 times per year (about 5 times per year). Half of these new records would be highs, and half would be lows. Thus, it is quite common for a temperature recording station to set new records. The fact that so few new records were actually set, means that the temperature was hardly extreme.

[neodad]

Everything on the weather channel is “heat index” and “feels like”. What a crock...

[SamAdams76]

I remember August 2, 1975, I was a 13-year-old boy and it was 102 degrees in Boston, MA on that day. I happen to remember that day vividly because we had no air conditioning and my father took us out in the car before bedtime so that we could roll down the windows and get a breeze. I can remember the bank thermometer still registering 94 degrees at around 9PM that night.

The recent heat wave in the Boston area did not get to 102 degrees and it certainly wasn't still in the 90s after dark.

Fact is that it is summer and heat waves are part of it. Trying to connect a summer heat wave to "global warming" is rather pathetic.

[freekitty]

Ahh, now Al Gore can’t jump out of his jumping clown box.

[Dogbert41]

I liked the beginning of Biloxy Blues, when they are walking in the dust and he’s talking about it being hot like “Africa hot” and a telephone pole falls over.

[TheOldLady]

Boop A Cat! Don't Wake the Dragon!

If they wake him up trying to steal that fish
There is sure to be trouble

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[DBrow]

myth bump for later

[truthfreedom]

No myth here. These were record breaking highs. Not record highs for the day (which are records, as well), but all time record highs. I don’t know how many weather stations there are, and I really don’t care.

The all time records were set at Dulles, BWI, Philly (and much of PA), Newark airport (108, the previous all time high was 105), and Boston. The all time high where a lot of people live.