It may have started off chilly this morning, but today, I am talking about record heat! Today (Wednesday, September 12, 2012) marked the 79th time so far this year that the Burlington area reached or surpassed 80°. This is significant because this now BREAKS the record for most number of days at or above 80° in the Burlington area since records have been kept in the 1880s. The old record was in the year 1959.
To break it down by month, we reached 80°...
1 time in April
8 times in May
12 times in June
24 times in July
25 times in August
and now 6 days in September (possibly more by Thursday and Friday...click here for your forecast).
If you're curious, the temperature data is consistent from day to day. The data is monitored by the National Weather Service employees (they're great people, I talk to them often). The instruments are calibrated regularly and monitored for inconsistent data. Most importantly, the thermometer is in the same location day to day, sheltered from sun so it is an accurate reading.
The weather data is taken at the Burlington International Airport in South Burlington. You may say...but that's South Burlington! Yes...it is. The "Burlington area" data (that we show you each day on tv, and that climate records are compared against), is taken a few miles away from the actual city center. This is the case with weather data in most towns and cities across the country. Most National Weather Service data is taken at the regional or local airports. While I'm not exactly sure why they chose the airport...it doesn't really matter. The data is consistent and the numbers don't lie.
