1980--now THERE was a heat wave

Our beloved state of Colorado is wilting under record-setting 100-plus degree temperatures and, at last count, 13 wildfires in the mountains.  

That was as of this morning, which was a leap from 8 the previous night.  There may be more by now.  (Say a prayer for the firefighters.)

Both are global-warming related, in my view.  By every measure, it's getting hotter--and hotter earlier.  Tucson, Arizona set a record this year for "earliest day to hit 100" on May 13. 

In addition, huge areas of the Rocky Mountains are affected by pine beetle disease, generally believed to be global-warming related, making whole regions a tinder box of dead wood. 

As heat waves go, however, this one, so far, pales in comparison to the heat wave of 1980.  

In Hays, Kansas, we had 33 straight days over 100 degrees.  On the 34th day, the temp fell to 99, and--you know what?--it actually did feel a little cooler less hot.  After that brief (and not much of a) reprieve, we had another 16 days in a row over 100.

It was terrible--one of the greatest natural disasters in the history of the United States.  The big cities--Kansas City and St. Louis--saw dozens of heat-related deaths.  Day time temperature in downtown St. Louis was around 130 degrees.

The cause was a massive high pressure ridge that settled over the midwest and south, and stayed there for over two months.  The thing was so massive and obtrusive that it took a hurricane (Allen) to dislodge it.

I remember the first day.  I walked out of the house and not only was it suffocatingly hot, but something about the air felt foul.  It was moldy-smelling, and--you somehow knew--thick with unfriendly organisms.  One night, it was 100 degrees at midnight.  I still remember the sign on the First National Bank saying:  "12:00  100."

We were used to heat in Kansas.  "Hotter than Kansas in August" is not just a line in a musical.  This, however, was heat on a whole new level, a demonic level.  (Mostly, our air is clean, and our thoughts are pure.)  This was something of a different order entirely--the unnatural suddenly become natural.  In my own mind, I think of it as The Day Global Warming Began.   

Comments

[Delores Champ]

I remember the heat wave of 1980 in Kansas City, as that's when my son was born - July 2, 1980. If my memory is correct, that's when the Fan Club started - to distribute fans to elderly and others because of the many who were dying due to heat.

[John Petty]

I think you're right about that. It was a real crisis, I remember that much. Dozens of people died in KC, and even more in St. Louis.

Thanks for your visit.

[James Ellis]

I was newly married, stationed at Ft Riley...my mother was so worried about us, she flew out & bought us a window a/c!!