Heat Waves in the frozen tundra...um I mean NW Chester County PA

[chescowx]

With our incoming heatwave and my local NWS point and click showing the next 6 days starting tomorrow at 90+ (although my Wxsim only has 90's forecast for the 1st 3 days of July) I would take a retrospective look back at our Chester County PA records above 650ft for the last 35 years for sustained heat. 

Overall in Chester County we average 11 days above the 90 degree mark in a typical summer. The most 90+ days were the 37 such days recorded back in the hot summer of 2002. The least days is zero....this has now happened 3 times 2004/2014 and 2015. Of note in the last 15 summers only one summer (2011) featured greater than 10 days with 11 days that year. In fact -  8 of the last 15 summer seasons have had 5 or less 90+ days. So far this year we have already had 1 90+ day (May 3rd at 90.3)

"Official" Heat Waves (3 or more 90+ days) are obviously mighty rare here across the peaks of the Welsh Mountain anticline in NW Chesco. Our last heat wave has already been 6 long years ago. When we hit 90 for 3 straight days from July 5th thru the 7th in 2012. We have only had 4 straight 90+ days three times in the last 15 years those were in 2011 (7/21-24); 2010 (7/4-7/7) and 2006 (8/1-8/3). Contrast that with the period in the summer of 2002 when between July 28th and August 19th we had 19 days above 90 - with 2 heat waves of 10 days (8/10-8/19) and 9 days (7/28-8/5) respectively. 

No doubt PHL will be above 90 for a run of many days. My forecast is we will also get to experience a rare heat wave this week.....but I am betting on a shorter run of 4 days. We shall see - I will of course keep you updated as you wait with baited breath!! 

Stay cool my friends!

Paul

[chescowx]

Yesterday (6/29) High Temps across NW Chesco yesterday - East Nantmeal 86.1 and 87 at KMQS airport