Northeast Ohio on track for hottest July since 1955

By Pat Galbincea

Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND

Northeast Ohio is on track to have the hottest July in 56 years.

As rainy as April and May were in Northeast Ohio, July has been hot — 17 of the first 18 days have been 80 degrees or warmer.

While Monday was only the third 90-degree day this month, hitting a high of 91 at several National Weather Service stations, including that at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, expect hot and muggy weather to continue through early next week, said Kirk Lombardy of the NWS.

If Lombardy is correct and the heat lasts through Sunday, Northeast Ohio will be 80 or warmer for 23 of the first 24 days of the month. That would make this the hottest July since 1955 when it was 80 or warmer every day through July 24.

The lone day below 80 this month was July 13, when the thermometer hit 79. Seventeen 80-degree (or more) days are the most for a July since 1955. That year it was 80 or better for 18 straight days in July.

“We’re experiencing high pressure off the Atlantic Coast,” Lombardy said, “and that allows warm, moist and humid air to come up from the South.

“Eventually these high-pressure cells will weaken, but sometimes they sit around for a while like this one. For people who don’t like hot weather, this will add to their misery.”

This year’s wacky weather has hurt farmers, said Michelle Gregg, spokeswoman for the Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association.

“We’ve been faced with an interesting dilemma,” she said.

“The April and May rains postponed a lot of cropping plans and eliminated some. Many farmers switched from planting corn to soybeans.

“Now what has happened is some areas aren’t getting the rain to keep soybeans growing. There is a potential for a double crop loss.”

Gregg said farmers who have been able to grow corn or soybeans could reap significant financial gains in 2011. She said demand for organic corn has been higher than it has in the past.