The Great Detroit Heat Wave of 2011

**Pam** · July-20-11, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by jackie5275

I didn't complain. I think my A/C ran 6 times that year. I loved having the windows open & a low electric bill.

I didn't complain either. I think I ran the A/C zero times that year.

**Ray1936** · July-20-11, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

Obviously - since you moved to Las Vegas! A good case for in-utero patterning

Yup, and I'm still quite comfortable, thank you!

Hottest it has been in Las Vegas [[since records have been kept, 1937) is 117. But just seventy miles south of here, at Laughlin, NV, it hit 127 a few years ago. This year, however, has been on the "below normal" side of the 105 normal. Been quite delightful so far, actually.

**Detroitnerd** · July-20-11, 02:53 PM

I can't take it anymore! Gaaaahh!

**Mind field** · July-20-11, 03:00 PM

Current temp in Baraga, MI is 99 degrees. Just a 1.5 hour drive north in Copper Harbor, MI it is 64 degrees. Amazing.

**SWMAP** · July-20-11, 03:05 PM

A digital sign next to Cobo Center is recording 111% - pavement and bricks get hot!

**Detroitnerd** · July-20-11, 03:07 PM

Sorry, I just burst into flames there for a moment.

lilpup · July-20-11, 04:08 PM

That's cuz Copper Harbor is stuck out in the middle of Lake Superior.

**courtney** · July-20-11, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by eno

Doesn't compare to the heat wave in the Summer 1988, late June thru August. Dry too.

http://www.geodata.us/weather/place....0States&y=1988

If you look at the temps, while the highs were high, the low temps for those days were almost freakishly low. It makes it a WHOLE lot more tolerable when you can get the house temperature down to something decent at night so you can close it up in the morning and it won't get unbearable until much later in the day.

As it is now, however, last night I never saw it get below 75 at our house and inside, even with fans and windows open for optimum air flow, when I went to bed the temperature in the hallway was showing 88. It was a nice cool 83 in the bedroom and 86 in the kitchen.

Combined with the fact that every time I step outside of the house I'm eaten alive by mosquitoes [[15 bites in 10 minutes last night and *2* at noon today alone) it just sucks. This is by far the worst summer since I've been here for 11 years.

**stasu1213** · July-20-11, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

Love that link, looking for the year without a summer. Anyone remember that one?

The summer of 1992 was a cool summer. The summer of 2000 and 2009 were cool ones too. I would like to add that 1997 started out as a scorcher until the tornado hit Detroit then the temperatures had been much cooler for the rest of the summer

**gazhekwe** · July-20-11, 06:14 PM

The dog and I have been out several times this afternoon. As long as we stay in the shade, it's actually pretty nice out. Summertime, yes!

**Bigb23** · July-20-11, 07:17 PM

Combined with the fact that every time I step outside of the house I'm eaten alive by mosquitoes [[15 bites in 10 minutes last night and *2* at noon today alone) it just sucks. This is by far the worst summer since I've been here for 11 years.

It's also been a plague of spiders, ants, and those little flies, out on my porch. I used to enjoy warm evenings out there, but this has been the worst year out of the past twenty.
Now it's just a matter of time until all those Japanese beetles show up.

**courtney** · July-20-11, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by Bigb23

It's also been a plague of spiders, ants, and those little flies, out on my porch. I used to enjoy warm evenings out there, but this has been the worst year out of the past twenty.
Now it's just a matter of time until all those Japanese beetles show up.

My head just exploded. My zinnias and lantanas are being devoured by those POS asiatic garden beetles. Every night I have to go out with a flashlight and get to squish dozens. At least doing that kept the losses [[so far) down to a single zinnia that they'd down to a small single twig. They tend to be most active if the nighttime temp doesn't go below 70 so they are in full force.

I thought things would be better after the fish flies were done but the populations of every other flying insect seem far worse this year than years past.

On the bright side - the fireflies are back! After years of not seeing many [[or any), I'm seeing them nightly and last night alone there were at least 5 in our backyard at the same time. I was getting worried about them for awhile.

**Zacha341** · July-20-11, 08:00 PM

I detest the 8 month Michigan winters LOL! So I try not to trip too much about this heat, but IT IS A BIT MUCH!

**Zacha341** · July-20-11, 08:01 PM

Wow, those were the days... say pre-mid 70's or so. Try that now and you'll be in the sleep of the DAMNED... LOL!

Originally Posted by lilpup

used to be, way back when the city was still civilized, people would go out to Belle Isle and sleep in the river breeze

**Zacha341** · July-20-11, 08:04 PM

I just have a small window AC unit that knocks a bit of the edge of the heat off in my dining room..... overall I can take a tremendous amount of heat, but this is 'pushing' even my comfort zone...

Originally Posted by mpf

I don't have AC in the house...gotta get outside and live a little!

**rencense** · July-20-11, 08:14 PM

The house im living in right now is a bi-level [[first floor half underground)

Normally I'm not a big fan of this house style but right now its great [[at least downstairs) Upstairs doesn't cool down too quickly with the ac but this week I sometimes just sleep upstairs where just a fan is enough

thatguy123 · July-20-11, 11:05 PM

people that give others a hard time for not being able to tolerate excessive heat should be ashamed of themselves.

**Detroit Stylin** · July-21-11, 02:34 AM

I am trying my best not to complain because i remember that at the end of the day...it could still be mid February and snowing...*Kanye Shrug*

**Gannon** · July-21-11, 05:26 AM

I picked a helluva week to get back to jogging, huh?!

Gave myself heat stroke yesterday...lost the day and it wasn't pretty. And this with jogging EARLY, to avoid the heat. It was 78 when I started, 83 when I finished just under six miles of jog/walking.

Funny thing, I ran into Danny again in the Village...a few blocks after finding a shiny new penny on the ground outside Krogers. Took both as good omens until it became clear in the next few hours that I'd truly punished myself.

Stay safe, everyone. Don't be silly...like me.

Cheers,
John

**kryptonite** · July-21-11, 07:10 AM

Originally Posted by courtney

On the bright side - the fireflies are back! After years of not seeing many [[or any), I'm seeing them nightly and last night alone there were at least 5 in our backyard at the same time. I was getting worried about them for awhile.

I have noticed them here [[I-696-Evergreen) for a couple of years. Two years ago I read that a study suggests that too much light [[aka 'light pollution') seems to mess with the fireflies mating instincts, etc. Apparently they need dark nights. My neighbor and I use zero outside lighting although a couple of my neighbors appear to want 24/7 daylight with their flood lights everywhere. ugh! During the summer I don't use exterior lights unless I'm coming home after dark. I leave a few lights on inside, which I think is really better for security anyway.

.Love the 'Lightning Bugs'!!!

**Cincinnati_Kid** · July-21-11, 07:20 AM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Cincy, I was born October of 1936. Until my mother's dying day, I heard stories of how horrible the summer was that year while she was pregnant with me. Frankly, I was quite comfortable.

I guess you were Ray, "Chillin in the womb, until it's time to come out"

**Bigb23** · July-21-11, 07:27 AM

My neighbor and I use zero outside lighting although a couple of my neighbors appear to want 24/7 daylight with their flood lights everywhere. ugh! During the summer I don't use exterior lights unless I'm coming home after dark. I leave a few lights on inside, which I think is really better for security anyway.

^^^^ Only one neighbor on our side of the street which backs up to the woods, lights up the outside of her house like a super max prison. The light spills out to everyone else's backyard and kind of screws up our view of the night sky. This is N. Oakland Co., not a high crime area.
I couldn't even imagine her electric bill!

**jackie5275** · July-21-11, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by thatguy123

people that give others a hard time for not being able to tolerate excessive heat should be ashamed of themselves.

I agree. Some folks have medical conditions that make it tough for them. I have a friend with MS, who can't take it at all if it's over 85. He gets just totally wiped out.

**jackie5275** · July-21-11, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by Bigb23

Now it's just a matter of time until all those Japanese beetles show up.

They've been out awhile now at my house. What's really bad is the previous owner of house was goofy enough to take the top off the mailbox, so many of them end up dead at the bottom of the mail. Gotta shake out the mail every day during this time.

**Ray1936** · July-21-11, 11:36 AM

At the peak of yesterday's heat in Las Vegas [[105), the humidity was 1%. By six o'clock, however, it had soared to 3%.

Thus the phrase, dry heat. 'Tis true, and not uncomfortable at all. I sat on my patio for an hour or so at the time with a spray bottle of water. On occasion, I'd give my face a squirt. The evaporative process was totally cooling. Alas, that won't work when the humidity is 50%.