Just finished nytimes.com article "In New York, It's the Summer That Isn't" and it's chock full of interesting tidbits, historic and ecologically.
1) Depending on today's high, "this will be the second or third coolest June and July recorded.." since 1903 or 1881.
2) July's average temperature, as of yesterday's high, was 72.6 degrees, "nearly four degrees below normal."
3) In June 2009, Con Ed produced 5.5% less power than June 2008. There were no
black-outs, brownouts or conservation calls.
4) Daily peak use average 10,934 megawatts. The projected high was 11, 945.
Electric bills have shrunk by 6%.
5) Attendance at city beaches through July was down 30%, from 7.1 million to 5.5.
6) In July 2008, the EMS answered 134 heat-related calls. This year there were
41.
7) Seattle, on the other hand, hit a record temp of 103 degrees last Wednesday.
It's been hot hot hot up there.
While the overall consumption of kilowatt hours, water resources and the like are down in a big city like New York, they are soaring in the usually more moderate climates of the country.
The meteorologist referenced in the article said most scientists attribute the cooling patterns to a "persistent high level jet stream" of cool air from North to Northeast as well as the heating and cooling of the atmosphere by the ocean temperatures. But he doesn't think they understand things all that well.
All I know is, it rained all of June. It rained all of July and if it rains all of August, summer will be over and I'll be living in a tropical rain forest. I hear tell of mountain trails usually clear and bushwhacked that have completely closed up and grown over again...much like the maze in the Harry Potter movie. The Shasta Daisies in my garden grow in large beautiful clumps and are divided by a footpath of granite stepping stones. I keep clearing the path by cutting flowers but no sooner is that done then it closes again.
My annuals are drowning, there are slugs everywhere, we're having an infestation of Japanese beetles which may have, hopefully,drowned by now. My dogs and cat are listless, cranky and full of gas from lack of exercise. The only good thing is the bugs seem to be drowning too. I think the super cool nights are killing them as they hatch. We don't have standing water around our home. Others who do say the mosquitoes are ferocious.
Photo is of one of my Gerbera Daisies from last year. This year's should look so good.
13 comments:
How odd - all that rain. It's been a cool summer here, too. We could use more rain, however. The lake is low.
So sorry that you're having such dreary weather. Those stats are very interesting and I love the pic of the Gerber daisies. Wishing you a sunny August! Thanks for coming by.
Cheers!
Here in the UK we have enough rain to start an ocean. It's cold too. I bought a new mac a few months ago and jokingly said 'now I've bought this we won't have any rain' ... who was I trying to kid? Oh well, off to the Canary Isles tomorrow. Maybe the sun will shine there.
This summer has been weird, for sure. We've only had 2 days when it got to 90 or above. We've had coolest July on record. Global climate change workin' it's magic!
You need a few chickens in your backyard to take care of those pesky Japanese beetles and slugs. They make short work of them. They won't eat ants though. Picky, picky!
Here in the south we have had unusually hot and dry weather. June and July were mostly in the high nineties...98-100, with a heat index of 108-114, with very little rain. The local farmers have suffered. My garden is fried. We finally got some rain these past two weeks, with is good as I was worried about my trees.
Today is day 45 of 100+ temps and it should feel like 110 today (though it will be cooler at 101)! We had some rain yesterday, a tiny bit that only made this forever heat worse with humidity. You be thankful for that rain. We are in a severe drought in Austin, TX and it feels like hell, here.
Two years ago it rained for six weeks straight. What I wouldn't give for a little of that now. We are having one of the hottest summers on record and driest. Everything is crispy. As feared, the pecan trees have started dropping the immature fruit.
The weather has not been too bad here (Atlanta area), mostly in the low 90s with thunder showers every other day so we can’t complain. I came to look at your blog after reading your chicken recipe on Marguerite’s blog. The recipe sounds tempting and you blog is very interesting. I am copying some of the Oscar Wilde’s quotes you selected. I am une femme d’un certain age, as you say, but it is getting more uncertain every day alas.
I fess up ... I took all the sunshine and gave you my normal rain.
Do not send it back my way ...
Hello,
Every year I buy the Farmers' Almanac. They accurately predicted a cool wet summer for us New Yorkers. Looks like September will be a bit cooler, too.
I don't miss the heat one bit.
But I feel bad for our friends in the midwest. It's really hot there.
Friends: after reading your comments we are all experiencing unusual summer weather this year and not too many of us are enjoying it. Too much of one thing is not a good thing, as they say or Martha says or somebody.
We all need sun & heat but not so much we have droughts & dead gardens and lawns. My friends in LA say they are allowed to water their lawns 2x p/w for 15 minutes. Why bother? I told my one girlfriend she should do it at night.
Anyway, here's to a nice August for all concerned and a beautiful Fall.
Wishing you a day of sunshine!
Thanks Tanna. I hear it's wicked hot in your neck of the woods.
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