2012 Heat Storm Chronicle
(Clinton,KY, August 1, 2012 ) – On July 28, 2012, at exactly 8:31 p.m., the rain tore through the early night darkness to finally break the hold of the heat storm. Wave after wave of lighting, fierce driven rain at over 40 to 50 mph speeds hammered at the front porch.
Before the storm shattered the serenity of early twilight, the night sky was torched by a constant series of lightning strikes that looked liked they were just next door.
The clash of so much lightning sounded like giants were playing a strange game of billiards where each ball striking another ball resulted in a light show followed by a deep nerve ratting explosion of noise.
Sitting on the front porch, with my Maine Coon cat, General Mosby, we welcomed all the noise, shattering light and fierce wind because it all meant wonderful, ground soaking rain. Our other cat, the sophisticated Siamese, General Rommel, stayed inside. He would not be a party to such foolishness as engaging in welcoming a storm by personally getting wet, with rain and wind driving your hair back.
On a more technical plane, the first heat storm of 2012 started in mid April when 90 degree days started to appear. It was on June 24 that we had our first 100 degree heat.
Because the City ofClinton has no official weather station, we use three sources for keeping up with temperatures: (1) First Community Bank sign with time and temperature (2) temperature reading from new car on board computer, and (3) rain and temperature gauge on front porch. The results of these readings are as follows:
(heat index h.i.)
Month Temp. Month Temp. Month Temp.
June 24 100 July 01 102 July 10 98
June 25 99 July 02 108 July 11 100
June 26 89 July 03 105 July 12 101
June 27 100 July 04 103 July 13 98
June 28 105 July 05 105 July 14 101 heat index
June 29 108 July 06 107 July 15 100 heat index
June 30 109 July 07 104 July 16 100 heat index
July 08 101 July 17 101 heat index
July 09 99 July 18 101 1956 record broken
Month Temp.
July 19 100
July 20 102
July 21 100
July 22 101
July 23 100
July 24 104
July 25 101 heat index
July 26 109 heat index
July 27 105 heat index
July 28 103 heat index
July 29 93
July 30 100 heat index
July 31 101 heat index
Regional weather experts at the Paducah NOAA predict that it is possible that this heat will break somewhere around the end of October. This will make it the third year in a row that summer heat has lingered so long into fall.
