Serious Heat and Serious Storms

2:00 a.m. Saturday:

Today's all-time record highs (that I could find, anyway):

Columbia, S.C.: 109 (nyah-nyah, Augusta ... Columbia's hottest ever is now one hotter than yours) Nashville, Tenn.: 109 Athens, Ga.: 109 Paducah, Ky.: 108 (tie) Huntsville, Ala.: 106 Chattanooga, Tenn.: 106 (tie) Columbus, Ga.: 105 Greer, S.C.: 105 (tie) Raleigh, N.C.: 105 (tie) Charlotte, N.C.: 104 (tie) Tri-Cities, Tenn.: 102 (tie) Crossville, Tenn.: 102

Honorable mentions:

Smyrna, Tenn.: 113 (I've always thought this thermometer runs a bit hot, but if it is accurate, it ties the Tennessee all-time state record high from Perryville on August 9, 1930) Columbia, S.C. (Owens Field): 110 (short period of record, 1 short of the South Carolina state record high) Bowling Green, Ky.: 110 (June record high)

Rumor has it that Mount Leconte, Tenn., got to 81 today, the first time they have ever been in the 80s. It will be interesting to see how warm Grandfather Mountain and Mount Mitchell were today. Grandfather Mountain's warmest is 83 and I believe Mount Mitchell's is 82.

Today certainly rivals what I used to consider the hottest day ever in the Southeast, Aug. 21, 1983.

I'm looking forward to pouring over the local cooperative reports to see if any state record highs were tied or broken. I think there's a chance in South Carolina and Tennessee. Someone in Georgia might have gotten close.

Most places in the Southeast will be within a degree or two of what we saw yesterday, some places hotter, others not as hot. So, we'll take a run at some of these figures again Saturday.

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