Extreme RealFeel, Apparent Temps

NOTE: Sorry this took so long to post today, I was busy this evening trying some lightning photography on a local storm (results, if any, Saturday).

It was Day 3 of extreme heat and humidity in the East today. Apparent and RealFeel temperatures were widespread in the hundred-teens both Wednesday and Thursday.

The only temperatures over 100 in the East Wednesday at official stations were 101 in Norfolk, Virginia and 102 @ Emporia, Virginia. The real heat was in Mississippi and Missouri (see map below). Unofficial stations showed temperatures at or above 100 in nearly every major city on the East Coast. Just eyeballing, the amateur stations that seemed particularly accurate with temperatures significantly over 100 or dew points over 80 were those from stations H0491, RKGN7, NATN7, and C1623 (graphs available here).

Again today (Thursday), the situation was similar, but highs of 100 were more common in the East. The following stations were over 100 (as high as 102): Franklin, Williamsburg, Hanover, Newport News, Richmond, and Norfolk, Virginia, and Statesboro, Georgia.

Here are the stats from official stations, showing the Station name and code, maximum RealFeel temperature, and maximum Apparent Temperature (Heat Index). Maximum dew points are also shown.

DISCLAIMERS: Asterisked numbers (*) were set today, all others were set on Wednesday. These numbers are not all-conclusive, but rather what I eyeballed during the past two days FROM OFFICIAL government stations. Candidates for this list showed dew points over 81, or Apparent or RealFeel temperatures over 115. Missing numbers indicate that they did not meet those thresholds.

How many of these readings are accurate? All come from official government stations, of course sensors can malfunction. Based on readings from nearby stations, I'd estimate all of these except for the Statesboro, Georgia and possibly the Emporia, VA readings to be candidates for accuracy.

This heat and humidity seemed historical, but since government records of humidity are not easy to discern, we may never know. I'll say this. I've never seen a dew point in the 80s in the East until this week. And I count over 35 stations on the East Coast reporting dew points in the 80s TODAY ALONE. Talk amateur stations too, you're at least doubling that. It can't be possible that all those stations are inaccurate.