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.