AUGUST 2007...HOTTEST EVER!

HOTTEST AUGUST EVER...As the record books close on this August, it officially goes down as the hottest on record across Shelby and most areas of the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. We have set all sorts of records such as highest average temp, record number of record high temps, record high minimum temps and almost a record for a long stretch of both 90 degree days and 100 degree days, as well as the hottest temperature on record (104 degrees). It's not clear whether this will be the driest August on record, but for some it will be. There's no denying the fact thiat this was a very hot and very dry Summer, an absolute disaster for farmers, backyard gardens, and even boaters and fishermen. But I am seeing a sign of change during September. I think our rain chances are going up and the temperatures are coming down. Keep your eyes on the Gulf and Atlantic for quick developing storms, but none are in sight at the time of this writing.

THE FORECAST...Friday Through Sunday...Partly cloudy, muggy with a better chance of showers and storms, especially Saturday.Highs mid 80's , lows mid 60's.

Read more below to see what the National Weather Service said about the hot weather....

AUGUST OF 2007 WAS THE WARMEST AUGUST EVER AT THE ASHEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 76.7 DEGREES BROKE THE OLD RECORD FOR THE MONTH OF 76.5 IN 1983. AUGUST OF 2007 WAS THE WARMEST AUGUST EVER RECORDED AT CHARLOTTE. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 83.7 DEGREES SURPASSED THE 81.9 DEGREE AVERAGE SET IN 1900. IT WAS ALSO THE THIRD WARMEST MONTH EVER AT CHARLOTTE. THE WARMEST MONTH EVER AVERAGED 85.5 DEGREES IN JULY OF 1993. AUGUST OF 2007 WAS THE WARMEST AUGUST AND WARMEST MONTH EVER AT GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG. THE 84.7 DEGREE AVERAGE THIS AUGUST SURPASSED THE OLD RECORD OF 81.6 DEGREES FOR AUGUST IN 1954...AND BROKE THE ALL TIME RECORD OF 83.2 DEGREES IN JULY OF 1993. THE MONTHLY RAINFALL OF 0.41 INCHES AT CHARLOTTE MADE THIS THE DRIEST AUGUST EVER AT CHARLOTTE...SURPASSING THE OLD RECORD OF 0.61 INCHES SET IN 1972. CHARLOTTE HAD SIX 100 DEGREE DAYS IN AUGUST...SURPASSING THE RECORD FOR THE MONTH OF 4 SET IN 1983 AND 1954. THIS WAS ALSO THE MOST 100 DEGREE READINGS IN A YEAR SINCE 1986...WHEN THERE WERE NINE. ONLY 112 DAYS HAVE EVER REACHED 100 DEGREES AT CHARLOTTE SINCE 1879...AND ONLY 30 OF THOSE HAVE BEEN IN AUGUST. GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG HAD TEN 100 DEGREE DAYS IN AUGUST...BREAKING THE RECORD FOR THE MONTH OF 4 IN 1999...AND BREAKING THE RECORD FOR THE MOST EVER IN ONE MONTH OF 5 SET IN JUNE AND JULY OF 1952...AND TYING THE RECORD FOR ONE YEAR...ALSO IN 1952. THERE HAVE ONLY BEEN 86 DAYS OF 100 DEGREE TEMPERATURES AT GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG...AND ONLY 25 OF THESE HAVE OCCURRED IN AUGUST. THE ASHEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT HAD 16 DAYS WITH TEMPERATURES OF 90 DEGREES OR GREATER IN AUGUST...THE MOST IN ONE YEAR SINCE 1993 WHEN THERE WERE 25. CHARLOTTE EXPERIENCED TEMPERATURES OF 90 DEGREES OR MORE FOR EVERY DAY IN AUGUST...AND FOR 32 CONSECUTIVE DAYS STARTING JULY 31ST. THIS IS THE SECOND LONGEST STREAK OF DAYS WITH TEMPERATURES OF 90 DEGREES OR GREATER...FALLING ONE DAY SHORT OF THE RECORD OF 33 DAYS ENDING ON JULY 30TH IN 1993. THERE HAVE BEEN 59 DAYS THIS YEAR WITH TEMPERATURES OF 90 DEGREES OR GREATER...THE MOST SINCE 1998 WHEN 66 OCCURRED. GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG HAD 27 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH TEMPERATURES OF 90 DEGREES OR MORE...ENDING ON AUGUST 26TH. THIS WAS THE FOURTH LONGEST STREAK OF 90 DEGREE OR GREATER TEMPERATURES. THE LONGEST STREAK WAS 38 DAYS ENDING AUGUST 3RD IN 1993. THERE HAVE BEEN 61 DAYS WITH TEMPERATURES OF 90 DEGREES OR MORE THIS YEAR...THE MOST SINCE 1998 WHEN 62 OCCURRED.