I am not the worlds greatest speller, especially when I am quickly typing these morning posts – my grammar isn’t the best either – thank God for spell check. Over the past century or so we have slaughtered the English language, you will see this if you have read any of the classics written in the Victorian era.
When pulp books came out in the 1930s we began our decent into a more simplistic grammar much to the surprise of our English teachers in grade school. These pulp books brought forth the golden age of science fiction, mystery, private eye and cowboy novels. I could go into the lengthy list of authors of that period, however I don’t have the time to do it here. The ones who began the transition into the golden age were Jules Verne, H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe and H.G. Wells to mention a few.
I read the classic along with both the old pulps and modern books – I have been devouring them since the third grade and now have an extensive collection lining book shelves and my tablet which I read from now. The written word gives us an escape into other worlds both true and fictitious.
After the brief cool down we will see temps begin to rise into the 80s once again after today. Looking at the long range models the warm/hot air will be around well into August. The best chances of rain today will be inland of the lake shadow (east of US 131). Our next chance of rain will come early next week.
Here is an interesting article from Jeff Berardelli from CBS news in regards to high dewpoints:
The dangerous heat wave responsible for breaking more than 100 heat records across the U.S. since Thursday — including a heat index of 122 in Baltimore — is finally in the process of diminishing. But perhaps the most stunning of all the records challenged in recent days were the humidity levels in the Upper Midwest.
The dew point is a measure of how much moisture is in the air; the higher the number, the more humid it is. On Friday, the dew point in Wisconsin reached virtually unprecedented heights for the U.S. — exceeding even the steamiest of spots like Miami or Houston. The reason, experts say, is a phenomenon called corn sweat.
Late Friday parts of Central Wisconsin, near the Wisconsin River, may have experienced dew point numbers into the middle 80s to near 90, pushing the “feels like” temperatures over 130 degrees.
The reporting stations on the above map are not official NOAA sites, but at least 5 separate sites in this local area reported dew points above 85, lending credibility to the observations.
Dennis Todey, director of the Midwest Climate Hub for USDA, is somewhat skeptical of the highest numbers, citing various inconsistencies in how each station measures moisture and the location and calibration of the sensors. “Some of the more extreme numbers I would question very carefully,” he said.
Even so, the region certainly sweltered. You might expect to find record moisture in tropical locations like Miami, but the highest dew points there rarely exceed 80. Instead the most “tropical” climate in the U.S. late last week was more than 1,000 miles north of the tropical belt.
That’s because tropical humidity was transported north from the Gulf of Mexico by southerly winds. The hot winds blew over vast fields of corn across the Midwest, absorbing moisture along the way. The result: corn sweat.
It’s no coincidence that the highest dew point ever recorded in the U.S., 90 degrees, was also nearby, in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1995.
Here’s how corn sweat works. In an effort to cool down, humans perspire by sweating liquid water, but plants transpire by sweating gaseous water vapor. Corn stalks suck up water from their roots and then release that moisture in the form of water vapor through small pores, called stomata, on the surface of their leaves. The technical term for release of moisture from both the soil and the crops themselves is evapotranspiration.
That lofted vapor moistens the atmosphere spiking dew points near and downwind of the cornfields. Al Marinaro, a weather research analyst for Maxar Technologies, says the corn can have quite an impact. “I’m a local that lives in the area,” he said. “Parts of Northern Sauk County [Wisconsin] have very healthy corn, allowing for better evapotranspiration.”
In the summer of 2016, the National Weather service in Des Moines, Iowa tweeted that corn can add a staggering amount of water to the atmosphere and boost dew points a full 5 to 10 degrees.
Joe Lauer, a professor and corn agronomist at the University of Wisconsin, says although corn produces the excess humidity, if it were not corn, other crops like soybeans would accomplish the task. “What is different is the irrigation practices used to produce crops, especially in the Midwestern Corn Belt. Irrigation increases the amount of water available to the plant to cool its leaf surfaces,” Lauer said.
Late last week, that extra humid air combined with maximum afternoon temperatures well into the 90s, making for an oppressive mix. The impact can be seen in the heat index temperatures. For example, take a temperature of 95 and a dew point of 80; the heat index is a sultry 115. Theoretically, corn sweat can push that dew point as high as 90, making for a heat index of an unbearable 141 degrees, which is literally off the charts.
Lows tonight in the low to mid 50’s! INCREDIBLE!
Amazing Grand Haven water temp is 42* chilly degrees after all that crazy heat and humidity last week lk Michigan still has some cold water in it ….INDY!
Nothing new, happens every time the wind changes direction. The warm water is still there, just moved offshore till the wind changes again. Around 70 degrees not to far out:
http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/michigan/m4.html
Indeed Barry..
You are wrong again Barry. A lake mi water temp of 42 degrees in mid to late July is incredible!
Sorry, you’re all alone and dead wrong on this one. It’s called upwelling, happens every time the wind changes and blows the warm surface water offshore and it’s replaced with cooler water from below:
https://www.woodtv.com/weather/bills-blog/upwelling-causing-some-lake-michigan-water-temps-to-really-drop/
If you have proof that my supplied links are incorrect, feel free to share them with us all.
Wow! Unbelievable comment!
It’s almost Augusta one month close to Fall yes! INDY.
Good map here showing water temps and where the warm water is. Don’t see any temps at the 42 you were referring to.
https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/glcfs/glcfs.php?lake=m&ext=swt&type=N&hr=00
Just like the 80’s happens every year at this time nothing new lol .INDY
Yes, but like Slim referenced below, 27 days in a row over 80 does not happen very often. A very rare stretch indeed!
What a stretch it was !! Another stretch of 80s coming .. Were is that cool July.. Lmao !!!!!!!!!!
It was nice to be able to keep the windows open last night. I slept like a baby.
Boyne mountain 66* degrees outside perfect start to a perfect Summer day ..INDY….
I added to the post above which helps explain the high dew points we experienced last week…
Interesting read! Can’t say I’ve ever read anything about “corn sweat” before, but last week there were dew points higher than I can ever remember. Good find!
For what it is worth the string of 80 or better at Grand Rapids and Lansing has ended at 27 days. As far as I can tell this is one of the longest string of 80 or better days for Grand Rapids. The longest I can find was 52 in 1921. 47 in 1988 and 34 in 1947.
Slim
Last cool day before the heat and humidity build again! The only question is how much above average July will be when it ends.
I don’t know if it’s the only question or not but as of this morning Grand Rapids July’s mean is 76.1° and that is good for a departure of +4.1° If this carried out to the end of the month that would be good for 11th all time warmest July at GR. In the last 10 years GR has had 2012 (79.2°) in 2nd place 2011 (77.0°) in 6th place and 2010 (75.5°) in 13th place. We will know in 9 days how July 2019 ends up.
Slim
And 1 warm month “July “going back 6 times not bad if you ask me …INDY!!
You are wrong again!