The Weatherwise crew pulled out of the Queen City with this year’s vacation plan taking us to Kure Beach, North Carolina, for a week. I left a day early and stopped in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, not knowing if my aching shoulder would survive the long drive to Kure Beach in one day.
We exited the car and were greeted with 104 degrees and sky high humidity. That combination sent us scurrying to check in and head to the pool to cool off, grab a bite and head back to our room. Enjoying our breakfast in the lobby was nice until we walked outside and got flattened with the heat once again.
A quick text to Sean found him and the girls about 10 miles away so we waited for him and continued our journey to the beach. After hours of driving, we finally arrived at our destination and the property we had rented for the week. A gorgeous house with a nice view and the access to the beach was just across the street so we were set for a week of adventure.
Most days we spent lounging at the beach, visiting the North Carolina Aquarium, and we picked, I believe, the hottest day to drive over to Wilmington and check out Riverwalk. It was beautiful, nestled along the Cape Fear River, with all kinds of food, shops and even an alligator checked us out during lunch.
Rain was scarce all week except Monday when it rained for about 20 minutes and eventually cleared and that was it, except when we left Saturday morning, a line of strong storms ushered us out of Kure and back to Cumberland.
The week was packed full of minor accidents among the family but we all survived what was a great trip with a great family! Also a huge Weatherwise thank you to my good neighbor Greg Smith for making sure the weather observations were taken and recorded on time.
July was very hot and August may bring more of the same so here are four heat related statements that you should be aware of.
• Excessive Heat Warning — Issued within 12 hours of the onset of extremely dangerous heat conditions. The general rule of thumb for this warning is when the maximum heat index temperature is expected to be 105 degrees or higher for at least two days and night-time temperatures will not drop below 75 degrees; however, these criteria vary across the country, especially for areas not used to extreme heat conditions.
• Excessive Heat Watch — Issued when conditions are favorable for an excessive heat event in the next 24 to 72 hours. The watch is used when the risk of a heat wave has increased but its occurrence and timing are still uncertain.
• Heat Advisory — Issued within 12 hours of the onset of extremely dangerous heat conditions. The general rule of thumb for this advisory is when the maximum heat index temperature is expected to be 100 degrees or higher for the next two days and night-time minimum temperature will not drop below 75 degrees. Take precautions to avoid heat illness. You need to take precautions to avoid potentially life-threatening conditions.
• Excessive Heat Outlook — Issued when the potential exists for an excessive heat event in the next three to seven days. An outlook provides information to those who need considerable lead-time to prepare for the event.
The Atlantic hurricane season was silenced in July thanks to two Sahara dust storms that pretty well kept any formation to a minimum. Forecasters are still predicting a very active season with a tropical wave being watched as I penned this column. Chris, Debby, Ernesto and Francine are next on the list of names.
The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting above normal temperatures and slightly above normal precipitation for the month of August. The 90-day extended outlook for August, September and October continues to indicate above normal temperatures and slightly above precipitation.
July was hot, humid, dry and down right miserable at best. Rainfall was scant and for the third consecutive month we remained below average. Tropical activity was snuffed out by the Saharan dust and thunderstorms were everywhere around us but not here in the Queen City.
Precipitation averaged .97 inches, which is 2.76 inches below the average of 3.73 inches. The maximum temperature was a sweltering 101 degrees and the minimum temperature a cool 53 degrees. The average maximum temperature for July was a hot 92.4 degrees and the average minimum was 64.1 degrees.
Streams and rivers as well as reservoirs are showing the strain of a very dry July. The temperatures for the month were easy to assess. Three days temperatures were 100 degrees or better, 18 days remained in the 90s and 10 days were in the 80s.
Still plenty of time to grab a mini vacation before the kids head back to school. Whether it’s the beach, mountains or maybe a few days of hiking, be sure to relax and enjoy!