It’s summer. It’s supposed to be hot. And indeed, summer 2012 so far has been a scorcher.
On Thursday the high temperature in Newnan again hit 100. That was the fourth day within a week that we recorded 100 degrees or above at newspaper’s small weather station on top of The Newnan Times-Herald building at 16 Jefferson St.
Thursday’s 100-degree high followed last weekend’s all-time record highs for the area – 104 June 29, 106 June 30 and 105 July 1.
More readings in the mid to high 90s were expected this weekend, but forecasters were predicting a break in the mid-90s and 100 readings this week.
In fact The Weather Channel forecast said Newnan could experience temperatures in the 80s beginning Tuesday and continuing through next Sunday.
The Weather Channel’s forecast highs were: 87 Tuesday, 83 Wednesday, 86 Thursday and Friday, 87 Saturday and 88 on July 15.
The National Weather Service forecast for that same period was slightly higher with temperatures around 90 or in the high 80s most of the week.
While temperatures have been exceedingly high during the early weeks of summer, rainfall has been hit and miss depending on where you were in the area.
As of Friday, Newnan had not recorded any rain in July and was more than 15 inches below normal for the year. Other parts of the area had been blessed with afternoon and evening pop-up thunderstorms.
On Tuesday an afternoon thunderstorm dumped heavy rain on southeast Coweta area near Haralson. Another thunderstorm passed through that area Thursday evening.
Parts of metro Atlanta north of Newnan had heavy rainfall Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, but no rain in Newnan as of Friday.
What’s the forecast for precipitation in Newnan? We could get one of those late afternoon thunderstorms any afternoon or evening.
And by mid-week the forecast gets even more promising.
As the temperatures drop into the 80s, the forecast is for a 50-60 percent chance of rainfall Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Let’s hope the temperatures fall into the 80s, and let’s hope the rain comes our way to relieve the dry conditions that ar parching lawns and gardens.
