Summer in the City: 109+

[Cudedog]

It hit 102 here at my house yesterday about 5:00. Today the high is predicted to hit 107 (109 on Saturday and Sunday) - which, for me, in my immediate area, probably means 108 to 110 today, and 109 to 112 Saturday and Sunday. Ugh.

Not that "dry" of a heat either - humidity at about 55% or more (I live in an agricultural area with lots of irrigation - my area is one of the major rice-growing areas in the world - and young rice sprouts and grows in water. So there are about 550,000 acres of intentionally flooded acres round about me used for growing rice. Puts a lot of moisture in air that might otherwise be dry.

Got the drip system going early this morning out in the garden, I have scads of green tomatoes coming on, more, maybe, than I have ever grown!! Just checked the tomatoes a few minutes ago, I see that I will need to go out and cover some of them (the fruit) with something because some of them are beginning to develop sun scald.

Don't know if this happens in other parts of the country, but it is fairly common here. With the climbing temps, any tomato fruit exposed to direct sunlight will just, literally, begin to cook. The skin on the tomato will turn white (instead of green) and if one doesn't cover them the white areas will begin to rapidly degrade, ruining that particular tomato.

I have been taking a long walk every morning for the past week (really been enjoying it, starting out at about 9:00 the temps have been in the low 70's), but this morning, as of 8:30, it is already 80 degrees (and rapidly climbing) . Since I react poorly to heat (I once passed out cold from becoming overheated), I think I will give my walk a pass this morning. Probably get my "walking" done a bit later by just walking around the house. Not great, but better than nothing - and 100% better than suddenly feeling faint while out walking many blocks from my home due to the heat.

I am seeing on weather.gov that both tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday are both predicted to top out at 109, which probably means 110 - 112 for me. I know from long experience that the "predicted" high temp for my town is generally a few degrees lower than what I will actually see here at my house).

With above one hundred degrees here probably every day for the rest of the week.

I'll set the AC to about 78 degrees, and strip down to shorts and a tank top. This will keep me (mostly) comfortable indoors. I would like it a bit cooler, and if I see Joe start to get uncomfortable, I might put it down another degree or two.

But the electricity rates here are very obnoxious, so I try to keep my electric use down as much as I can. Which is difficult when temps climb so high.

Summer in the City!!

Anne

[MandysMom]

Yes, indeed, summer is here! We topped at 101° at my house, 2 degrees lower than downtownn Sacramento, where there is more concrete. Humidity, when I have looked has been low 40% . Expecting hotter today plus spare the air day, at AQI in 135 range. No fires so no smoke, just sun cooking pollution.We expect 103° today.
I have to get to pharmacy to pick up sons pills amd he wants to go to the stand in their parking lot for fireworks(safe and sane only here-so fountains and such that are on ground only). Will join neighbors Tuesday night for our annual gathering. Handyman got my propane BBQ cleaned amd new regulator, and tested, so it's good to go! Now i need to learn to use it-that was Mels job he loved, while I did everything else.
Had a funny encounter last night. Around midnight, as I was getting ready for bed, I thought, better add water to birdbath, which is clamped to my deck rail, so morning visitors have something to drink. Filled the big cup with water, turned on light, and stepped onto deck. As I was about half way across deck, I heard something move on ground in front of deck (about 4 ft off ground with lattice skirting). I looked around and a skunk, maybe half grown, ran from where seed drops from feeder, around to side and looked like it tried to go under deck. I stamped my feet to be sure it knew I was near, quick dumped water in bath, and went back inside. No skunk smell at all. Did a search and learned in winter they will eat seed, but they prefer small mammals and insects which are attracted to the seed. No harm, no foul, will let him/her do it's thing and remember not to go out late at night when it's his/her dinner time! Live in city of well over 100,000, but we have creeks all over and my property has a drainage collection ditch for rain, which feeds a pipe with grate, which leads to creek, and we have known since moving here, that critters come up the alley, under my fence that is raised to accommodate the ditch and pipe. But, since we moved in, in spring '89, this is my first actual sighting of a skunk, other than from distance. We had a possum many years ago, die from probable auto accident injuries, under steps and did casting of raccoon prints years ago. Skunks and squirrels are our most frequent visitors! Well, besides birds.
Have a pleasant holiday weekend, everyone.
Velda

[Shirlv]

So bored. No carrots so not making soup. Why soup when it is hot and humid….because it’s cold in my apartment. The ac is on 72° to reduce the humidity inside. I wear Lon sleeves and my long wrap around sweater. I breathe much better I am not investing in a large humidifier that has a large tank to be emptied. My electric bill is $59 a month so easier to use ac.

[Bethers]

I wouldn't have gotten any walking in if I was starting at 9. I'm usually out between 6 and 7. And I'm not a morning person! What can I say, Ty and I both need the exercise.

[Pooker]

Good morning everyone. Fourth of July weekend, so I'm sure the crazies will be setting off their fireworks and handguns! Going to be hot here on the edge of the desert, too. Barbie will be hotter, but we had such a cool spring that we just knew when summer hit it would be with a vengeance!

Shirl, I could only wish for a $59 electric bill! Need another digit in front to equal mine. And that's using every discount available for me. I keep my A/C at 80 and I'm comfortable at that temp. One thing about SoCal, tho - it cools down at night. Don't take walks anymore. Don't get much of any exercise unless you count walking from the recliner to the bathroom (which I do frequently). Never thought I'd be one of those little old ladies shuffling along with my walker and not being able to walk around even the smallest of stores. What happened to that girl who was a dancer, who roller skated 3 nights a week, who scampered across the rocky shore of Maine and hiked through woods? And was a lifelong camper? Ain't getting old fun?

Happy Fourth to you all. Hope you have some great plans. Stay safe.

Evie

[asirimarco]

Weather here in Vegas is into summer now. Will be 117 at Lake Mead today, about 113 where we live. Airport where official reading is about 111. We live in the lowest part of the valley so always hotter here. I keep thermostat at 80 - Bill freezes if any lower. But noticed the other night that it was at 82 - seems like the new thermostat I got from the electric company changes itself when electricity levels go up. I can override it for that time. So this summer will be interesting.

[Pooker]

It's only (only?) 105 right now on my patio. 3:30 p.m. Sun.

[Cudedog]

It's only (only?) 105 right now on my patio. 3:30 p.m. Sun.

LOL. As far as I'm concerned, anything over 100 is never "only".

110 here, at 4:00 p.m. Might make it to 111 yet.

I'm kind of "meat hungry" today. Threw a small rack of baby back ribs on the charcoal grill outside. Also threw a couple handfulls of hickory chips on the coals before I put the meat on, everything is smoking good.

It was that or nothing - my AC is struggling to keep the temp down to 80 inside my house as it is. Cooking anything inside is not an option.

Anne

[MandysMom]

Sunday reached 113° here for a hour or two! That's HOT. Humidity 15%.
One more day of triples, then back into 90's, or so they tell us.
Velda

[asirimarco]

Got up top 114 here in our area yesterday and supposed to be hotter today - ugh. Energy company took over thermostat yesterday again set it at 82, nothing I could do would change it. Can't disable it or over ride it. Have to call the energy company to have it disabled. Then they will charge me higher electricity rates for that period of time. Got suckered into that one. I have another thermostat that came with the new AC a couple of years ago. Might have our son install it when he comes over next time. Bill loves the 82 - it makes me feel ill if I do any thing. He says I need to see a doctor to see why I'm always hot. He is always cold if temps below 80...
Tomorrow it is supposed to start cooling down will be around 106 for next week. When I got up at 6:30 it was already 90 outside.

[Cudedog]

Sunday reached 113° here for a hour or two! That's HOT. Humidity 15%.
One more day of triples, then back into 90's, or so they tell us.
Velda

Got up top 114 here in our area yesterday and supposed to be hotter today - ugh. Energy company took over thermostat yesterday again set it at 82, nothing I could do would change it. Can't disable it or over ride it. Have to call the energy company to have it disabled. Then they will charge me higher electricity rates for that period of time. Got suckered into that one. I have another thermostat that came with the new AC a couple of years ago. Might have our son install it when he comes over next time. Bill loves the 82 - it makes me feel ill if I do any thing. He says I need to see a doctor to see why I'm always hot. He is always cold if temps below 80...
Tomorrow it is supposed to start cooling down will be around 106 for next week. When I got up at 6:30 it was already 90 outside.

Wow. Velda and Asirimarco. 113 & 114. Total ugh.

You both got me beat.

It did make it to 111 here yesterday about 5:00 p.m., it was still 90 when I hit the sack about midnight. Noticeably cooler this morning, "only" about 77 at 8:45 a.m., predicted high today is 103. Which is certainly too hot for me, but it is what it is.

Stay cool, everyone!

Anne

[Irmi]

All of you have us beat temperature wise. In central FL it is a balmy 98. Our feel like temperature is warmer. And we could use some rain, too. Take care everyone.

[BarbaraRose]

You gals even beat me yesterday! We only got to 112* Today is supposed to get to 115*. The cats don't spend much time out on the porch these days!

[asirimarco]

at least it is a dry heat - humidity only at 10%

[Pooker]

Yup! Dry heat! An oven is dry heat also, but we don't want to climb into it! But you're right, Carol, the humidity back east makes any heat very uncomfortable.