Special Weather Statement

This statement from the NWS-Nashville puts August into perspective.

...Nashville ties record for most consecutive days of 90 degrees and above...

...Temperatures to back off several degrees today and Monday...

Nashvilles high temperature yesterday of 99 degrees fell short of the record high for August 25th of 102 degrees set back in 1943. This breaks the string of three consecutive days of record heat in Nashville.

Crossville tied the record high for August 25th with 90 degrees. The previous record was set in 1995.

Clarksville hit 98 degrees for the afternoon high. Temperatures today and Monday will back off several degrees from the recent record heat.....thanks to a Canadian high pressure system that has settled over the mid west.

Highs today...and Monday will be in the low to mid 90s at Nashville...and Clarksville...with mid and upper 80s along the plateau. Southern areas of middle Tennessee will see similar readings.

Nashville has broken five daily high temperature records this month.....and either broken or tied......seven.....highest daily minimum temperature records.

There has been 15 days of 100 degrees or above in Nashville this month.....this Summer and this year so far. This is more than twice as many days as previously recorded in the month of August. The previous record was 7 days set back in 1954.

It is also the most ever recorded in any month. The previous record was 11 days back in June 1952. As for the Summer... back in 1954... Nashville had 20 days of triple digit temperatures... and in 1952... we had 19.

To put the heat wave in perspective...the 15 days of 100 degrees and above in Nashville this month... is more than twice what occurred in the previous 15 years. From 1991 to 2006... Nashville only had 6 daysof 100 degrees and above.

Currently... August 2007 in Nashville is averaging 9.5 degrees above normal. This is 4.6 degrees hotter than the hottest August on record... which was in 1995.

August 2007 could also end up being the hottest...of any month since record keeping began in Nashville... nearly 137 years ago. The daily high temperature in Nashville this month is averaging 99.9 degrees through August 25th. This is more than 12 degrees above the 30 year average high temperature for the month of August. There have been 24 consecutive days of 95 degrees and above in Nashville. This is unprecedented in the weather records at Nashville. The old record was 19 days back in June 1952. Yesterday was the 31st consecutive day of 90 degrees and above in Nashville. A string that began back on July 26th. This ties the record for the most consecutive days of 90 degrees and above......ever recorded in Nashville. Nashville also had a stretch of 31 consecutive days back in June of 1952 and again in June of 1954.

The 106 degrees on August 16th not only broke the record high temperature for that date...but also broke the all time record high for the month of August...which had been 105 degrees set back in August 1930. This also was the hottest temperature in Nashville inthe last 55 years... only surpassed by the all time record heat of 107 degrees back on July 27th and 28th 1952. We have only had 0.08 inches of rain in Nashville in the last 31 days. Nashville had a similar stretch of 32 days back in Augustof 1998. The driest August on record... was back in 1929 when only 0.51 inches fell. Other dry augusts include... 1936... 1968 and 1987. Since the first of June... Nashville has recorded only 3.92 inches of rainfall. The driest June through August on record... was in 1954... when 4.74 inches of rain fell. Other years with a dry June through August include... 1925... 1948 and 1943.

Rainfall since January1st has totaled 17.39 inches...which is 14.60 inches below normal. We are currently classified as having an extreme to exceptional drought conditions across middle Tennessee. Temperatures are forecast to be in the 80s on Friday and Saturday. This will be a welcome relief from the 90 and 100 degree heat thatwe have experienced this month. There is also a chance for thunderstorms...Thursday...Friday and Saturday.