Strange Autumn Heat Wave Grinds On In The East

North Beach in Burlington is never this busy in late
September, but it was Sunday. Photo by Elizabeth Murray/
Burlington Free Press.

Well, this autumn heat wave is really something.

Up here in Vermont, the temperature in Burlington got all the way up to 91 degrees on Sunday, shattering the old record 84, set in 1961.  

It was also - by far - the latest 90 degree reading on record. Previously, the latest 90 was on September 16, 1939. Pretty incredible.

It goes on. The low temperature this morning in Burlington was the same as the normal high. We're pretty much guaranteed to break another record high today and tomorrow with another 90 not out of the question at all.

This will go on through Wednesday, which is an awfully long time to keep getting daily record high temperatures. This type of thing usually only lasts a couple of days.

Actually, the warmth got under way around September 12 and 13 and the weather has been pretty typical of July ever since. The first 10 days of the month averaged 4.5 degrees below normal, but now, the month as a whole is 3.5 degrees above normal.

And here's a weird factoid the National Weather Service in South Burlington pointed out on Sunday. This year, Burlington has had five days that have gotten to 90 degrees or above. But none of those 90 degree days occured during astronomical summer.

Two of those 90 degree days were in May, another two were in June before the summer solstice and ther was one on Sunday. It never got to 90 in July and August.

I've been harping on Vermont, since that's where I'm based, but the heat has been widespread as well as intense.  Chicago has had five record highs in a row as of Sunday and today could be a sixth, and it's latest in the year they've had five days in a row in the 90s, says the Chicago Tribune. 

In Buffalo, New York, the record high temperature of 90 Sunday was the only day this year where that city reached 90 degrees.  

A hot day at the beach near Toronto, Canada in late
September as the leaves start changing. Photo by Andrew
Francis Wallace/Toronto Star

Toronto, Canada, also had a late season record high of 90 degrees.

Back here in Vermont, it's getting dry again as well. It had gotten too dry by late August, but welcome rains in the first week or so of September pretty much fixed that.

But in Burlington, at least, it hasn't rained at all since September 10. And not much rain is in the forecast.

When the heat breaks Wednesday night or Thursday, a few showers will probably accompany the strong cold front, but it won't amount to all that much.

After that, temperatures will be normal for late September - highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s- but another extended period of dry weather is likely.

Until the heat breaks, take care not to overexert yourself. You think it's September and psychologically you'd think it's not all that bad, but this is midsummer heat wave conditions. Stay hydrated out there folks!