The hottest summer on record in Chattanooga ended Wednesday, but those looking for autumn relief from the heat will have to wait until at least Sunday.
WRCB-TV Meteorologist Paul Barys said high temperatures in Chattanooga are expected to remain in the 90s today, Friday and Saturday before cooling off with rain early next week.
“More normal fall temperatures won’t come until Sunday,” Barys said.
BY THE NUMBERS* 83 – Average temperature in Chattanooga during June, July and August, or 5.2 degrees above normal.* 7.91 – Inches of rain in Chattanooga during June, July and August, or 4.4 inches below normal.* 111 – Peak heat index in degrees reached in Nashville on Aug. 4, when the actual temperatures averaged 100 degrees across the Tennessee Valley* 34 – Number of days this summer on which the heat index in Memphis was at least 105 degrees* 31,777 – Megawatts of electricity sold at the peak on Aug. 4 by the Tennessee Valley AuthoritySources: National Weather Service, TVA
This week’s hotter-than-normal weather pushed the mercury on Tuesday to 97 degrees – just one degree shy of the all-time record – and is an extension of what was the warmest June, July and August in Chattanooga since the National Weather Service began keeping temperature records in 1879.
Summertime temperatures in Chattanooga this year averaged 83 degrees, or 5.2 degrees above normal.
“We had persistent high pressure [systems] over our area, both at the surface and at the upper levels of the atmosphere,” said David Gaffin, forecaster for the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn.
Gaffin said the summertime rainfall deficit of 4.4 inches also made this year the 17th driest year on record in Chattanooga.
The hot, dry weather generated plenty of cold cash for the Tennessee Valley Authority. TVA spokesman Scott Brooks said TVA electricity sales this summer were up by 12.6 percent over the same period a year ago.
However, the lingering sluggish economy held TVA power sales this summer at 3 percent below the same period in 2007, when TVA had a similar hot and dry summer.
But this summer’s sweltering heat created challenges for many outdoor businesses.
“This was the worst summer I’ve ever seen following one of the worst winters [for rain, cold and snow],” said Eddie Taylor, director of Chattanooga’s golf courses and a 20-year veteran of the golf industry.
Taylor said the city had to re-seed more than one-third of its greens on the 18-hole Brainerd Golf Course this month after the dry heat damaged much of the bentgrass.
“This is the first time we’ve ever had to re-seed more than one green,” he said.
The hot weather also cut out most afternoon golfing on hot days at both Brainerd and the city-owned Brown Acres golf courses, Taylor said.
The heat also was on for many workers toiling in jobs that are hot to begin with.
“We gave out a whole lot more water and Gatorade to our workers this year to help keep them hydrated and cooler,” said Chris Hetzler, sales manager for the Eureka Foundry Co., where molten metals often pushed factory temperatures on hot days above 110 degrees. “We had to adjust our work shifts earlier in the day to take advantage of cooler hours.”
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6340.