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Was it just me, or was the summer of 2006 particularly warm?? How does '06 compare with other hot summers?? Thanks, Chris K. slc, ut. **********************************************************
Yes it was a hot one. The summer of 2006 was the hottest summer across the contintenal US since 1936. Summer for weather purposes is from June 1 to August 31. During that time the US averaged 74.5 degrees, records for this data set go back to 1895. The summer of 1936 was .2 degrees warmer. The average temperature for the US for the 20th century is 72.1, we were 2.5 degrees above that average.
2300 heat records were broken during July's heat wave and more than 200 people died in the US. Globally, it was the third hottest summer since records began in 1880.
In Utah, our average summer temperature is 73.9. Pulling up climate data from this summer we can calculate our average here for Salt Lake. June's average was 73.2, July 83.1 and August at 76.5. The average of those numbers is a shocking 77.6!!!! Anyway this ranks 4th! So this summer in SLC was the 4th hottest summer since records began at the NWS in Salt Lake. The warmest ever was 78.6 in the summer of 1994. If these numbers are correct, then July would also be the 2nd hottest July on record.
Yes it was hot for sure. And some of it was also wet. August came in with 121 percent of normal precipitation, but July only had 36 percent of normal, June was at 96 percent of normal.
Answered by KSL Meteorologist Dina Freedman.
