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Show 4A Thursday, July 17, 2014 Top 10 hottest days in Utah By MARK SAAL Standard-Examiner staff Hot enough for you? As we approach the midpoint of summer, it seems like as good a time as any to look at where we stand, temperature-wise, here in the Beehive State. Temperatures for June were about as typical as we get here in the state of Utah, says Nanette Hosenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "It was a great month. It was very average." Average? "When you look at the month as a whole, we were 0.2 degrees below average, so we were basically right at our average monthly temperature," Hosenfeld said. But this month, midway through July, the weather has begun heating up. "So far, in July, we are 5 degrees above average," Hosenfeld said. Indeed, this month, every day but two — July 1 and July 11 — have been above 90 degrees. Thus far, the average high during the day has been 96 degrees, with the average low at night at 68.8 degrees. "So when you average those two numbers together, then you get our average monthly temperature," Hosenfeld said. "Which is kind of a temperature that doesn't mean anything — except to maybe compare it from month to month." For example, thus far, the average temperature for July is a misleading 82 degrees. That's not to say days this month have peaked at a mere 82 degrees. But when you av erage the month's average high (96) and its average low (68.8), you get the average monthly temperature (82). Last month, June's average monthly temperature was an equally misleading 69.5 degrees. But that's combining the June average high of 82.6 and the low of 56.4. "Still," admits Hosenfeld, "June is nice when it's right at the average." Speaking of warm temperatures, what's the hottest it's ever gotten during a Utah summer? Well, in the state, Hosenfeld says the record high is 117 degrees, set back on July 5, 1985, in St. George. In Northern Utah, the record high is 107 degrees. And we've actually hit that temperature twice — on July 13, 2002, and back on July 26, 1960, Hosenfeld said. Contact Mark Saal at 801-625-4272 or msaal@ standard.net. Follow him on Twitter at ©Saalman. Like him on Facebook atface- book.com/SEMarkSaal. SLC-area heat records Here is a list of the Top 10 hottest temperatures recorded for the Salt Lake City area (ties in the record are listed from most recent to oldest): • 107 degrees on July 13, 2002 • 107 on July 26, 1960 • 106 on July 29, 1995 • 106 on Aug. 4, 1994 • 106 on July 28, 1934 • 106 on July 21, 1931 • 105 on June 29, 2013 • 105 on June 28, 2013 • 105 on July 15, 2007 • 105 on July 15, 2003 |