Hot As The Fourth Of July Indeed As 90 Degree Days Pile Up In Vermont

Lillies blooming in the hot sun of 
Fourth of July, 2024 in St. Albans, 
Vermont. Temperatures made it
to 90 degrees in parts of the state
and we might have more such
days in the coming week. 

 It was a bit of surprise, but at least in Burlington, Vermont, we made it to 90 degrees on the Fourth of July. 

We knew it was going to be warm and humid Thursday, but it did get a little hotter than expected. We had a bit more sun than I had anticipated, which helped boost temperatures.

I guess the weather gods wanted to keep with tradition. You know, "Hot as the Fourth of July" and all that jazz. 

It's turning out to be a very warm summer, as expected, at least so far. I wonder if the  Fourth of July heat could be a sign that this summer might make it into the top ten warmest.

Burlington actually has 14 summers in their list of top ten warmest, since there are several ties on the list. In five of those summers, it was 90 degrees on the Fourth of July. 

That might not seem like much, but the chances of a 90 degree day falling on a specific day in Vermont, no matter how hot the summer, is pretty iffy.

The 90 degrees on July 4 this year is the sixth time it got to that level this year. We're on a - pardon the pun - blistering pace.  

Even if we don't have another 90 degree day for the rest of the summer, only 48 out of the past 123 entire years in Burlington have had at least six days that got that hot. 

Of course, the Champlain Valley is Vermont's banana belt. Most of the rest of the state has fewer 90s than places like Burlington. 

We'll have more chances at hitting 90 degrees, at least in the Champlain Valley in the coming days and probably weeks. 

The United States right now is dominated by two heat domes - one along the West Coast, the other on the East Coast.  In between, a little bit of a dip in the jet stream is keeping the northern and central parts of the Great Plains and Midwest relatively reasonable

As a reminder, a heat dome is a big area of summertime high pressure that features lots of sinking air. That sinking air causes compressional warming, which makes hot air even hotter.

By far, the strongest of the two heat domes is in the West. That heat dome is intense, long lasting, and will likely lead to some all time high temperatures in areas from the central Rockies to the Pacific Coast. 

Climate change is making this type of scary heat dome more likely. 

Luckily for us in Vermont, the heat dome in the East is pretty much a typical Bermuda High. There might be a few record highs, but not all that many, really. 

Plus, Vermont is on the northern edge of this big eastern heat zone. That means we're subject to weak disturbances that tend to temper the heat. 

Still, it's going to be uncomfortable out there, with more chances at 90 degree heat. Today could be another 90 degree afternoon. Especially since it was already 87 degrees in Burlington as of 1 p.m.  

On Saturday, if expected showers and storms hold off long enough, we could make another run at 90 degrees. Monday and Tuesday of next week could also get that warm. Maybe. 

Whether or not it actually gets to 90 degrees on any day now through the start of next week, you'll want to take it easy. Humidity will stay  high, so you'll not want to overexert yourself outdoors. And, like we did in June, keep an eye on your elderly neighbors, especially if they don't have air conditioning.

Maybe kidnap them again and take them to a movie. "Despicable Me 4" with all those yellow pill-like Minions might be good for a few laughs. 

There are some uncertain signs that dip in the jet stream over the Midwest might edge a little further east briefly in about a week, giving us a break from the warmth and humidity. 

That said, the overall weather pattern features a much better than even chance of warmer than average temperatures at least into the third week of July.