Macon is setting high temperature records. Could the heat wave last all summer?
The boiling temperatures in Macon for the past two weeks broke records, but they also led to a big question: how long could this last?
According to the National Weather Service, higher heat levels could continue all summer.
“Our one month outlook takes us through close to the end of July, and they have it in the contour for 40-to-50% chance of above normal temperature,” said Lindsay Marlow, a meteorologist at NWS’s Peachtree City office. “It doesn’t mean we’ll see temperatures above 100 like we have, but it might mean that we have higher than normal temperatures.”
Marlow said it’s hard to predict an exact number, but that the rest of the summer could be hotter than those of the past.
While the temperatures might not surpass 100, the increased heat is bad news for Macon after highs of 105 broke daily records last week. Temperatures may hit 103 on Thursday and set more records for highest temperature on June 23. The National Weather Service said the pattern of high heat is unusual.
“We’ve been in a pattern because we’ve been in weather systems that haven’t moved like they typically do,” Marlow said. “There’s been what we call a ridge sitting over the Southeast for roughly two weeks now.”
A “ridge” is a high pressure weather system that creates dry, hot air when it comes to an area.
“When you’re in this kind of ridge, like a high pressure, there are only light winds. There’s a lot of pressure and the dry air comes down to the surface,” Marlow said. “So as a result, when a ridge parks itself across the southeast for two weeks, you have all that dry air, you’re really going to heat up.”
While Macon was granted some relief last weekend with temperatures in the 90s, meteorologists hope rain could cool Middle Georgia down again this weekend.
“The chances are lower on Thursday or Friday because it’s not a large system,” Marlow said. “The chances moving into the weekend are a little higher, though, probably medium at this point.”
As for the long-term status of the record heat, Marlow said that temperatures are expected to be above average until late in the summer. Marlow also emphasized the importance of heat safety.
“Since the Macon area is going to be so hot at least through the next couple days, it’s just important to have people follow heat regulations,” Marlow. “The steps get even more important when it’s this hot, especially when it’s for an extended time period.”