Excessive Heat, Baldwin
- When
- August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 27, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Baldwin forecast zone
- Reported by
- Official NWS Observations
- Coordinates
- 33.069, -83.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
August 2007 proved to be one of the hottest months on record for much of north and central Georgia as a large ridge of high pressure combined with abnormally dry conditions from several preceding months of below normal rainfall. Numerous daily record high temperatures were broken, especially during the mid part of the month. Even some record high minimum values were recorded during this period. It proved to be the warmest month ever (since records have been kept back into the 1800s) for Atlanta and tied the record for the most number of days that 100 was reached or exceeded in one summer for Atlanta. While most of the month was above normal, the core of the intense heat was during the period from August 7th to August 22nd. Similar situations were observed at the other reporting stations.
Two heat related deaths were reported, one in Atlanta and the other in Rome. The Atlanta-Journal and Constitution reported that an 87-year old woman was found dead in her home on the morning of August 12th as a result of the heat. She was found in a closed apartment with the air conditioning turned off. Her body temperature was determined to be 102 degrees. This was the first heat-related death in Georgia since July 2006. The Rome News Tribune reported that a 65-year old man was found dead in his camper trailer at Roys Trailer Park near Rome on August 13th. The man was found closed in his hot trailer. The air conditioning was not functioning properly.
The excessive heat combined with continued below normal rainfall to exacerbate the drought conditions across the region.
Details of the excessive heat for Atlanta, Athens, Columbus, and Macon are provided below:
Atlanta:
Average temperature for the month: 85.6F which was 6.7F degrees above normal. This goes down not only as the hottest August ever (83.8 in 1980 was previous record), but it was the warmest month on record for Atlanta (85.3 in July of 1993 was old record).
Number of times temperature reached or exceeded 100: 8
Hottest day: 104 on 8/22
Record high maximum temperatures were set on the following eight days: 8/9 (103), 8/10 (103), 8/11 (100), 8/13 (100), 8/14 (99), 8/17 (101), 8/22 (104), and 8/23 (98).
The reading of 104 on 8/22 was the all-time record high for the month of August.
Record high minimum temperatures were set on these nine days: 8/5 (75), 8/8 (82), 8/9 (79), 8/10 (78), 8/11 (81), 8/14 (78), 8/16 (79), 8/19 (76), and 8/22 (79).
The reading of 82 on 8/8 was the all-time record high minimum temperature for the city of Atlanta.|______________________________________________________________________
Athens:
Average temperature for the month: 85.2 which was 6.8 degrees above the normal. It also ties July of 1993 for the warmest month ever at Athens. The previous record average temperature for the month was 83.4 in 1983.
Number of times temperature reached or exceeded 100: 13
Hottest day: 106 on 8/22
Record high maximum temperatures were set on the following nine days: 8/7 (101), 8/8 (102), 8/9 (105), 8/10 (104), 8/11 (102), 8/15 (103), 8/16 (105), 8/22 (106), and 8/26 (99).
Note: The record high for August is 107, which was reached on 8/20/1925 and 8/21/1983.
Record high minimum temperatures were set on five days: 8/8 (75), 8/9 (78), 8/11 (79), 8/17 (76), and 8/22 (75).
The reading of 79 on 8/11 ties the monthly and all-time record high minimum temperature for Athens.
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Columbus:
Average temperature for the month: 85.2 which was 3.9 degrees above normal. This sets a new record for the warmest August ever (old one was 83.4 in 1983) and falls just short of the warmest month ever, which was 85.3 in July of 1993.
Number of times temperature reached or exceeded 100: 6
Hottest day: 104 on 8/10
Record highs were set on the following four days: 8/9 (100), 8/10 (104)*, 8/11 (103), and 8/22 (102).
The temperature of 104 on 8/10 ties the record for the warmest temperature in August set on 8/18/2000. This also coincides with the warmest temperature of all-time at Columbus.
Record high minimum temperatures were set on the following five days: 8/5 (77), 8/7 (77), 8/11 (81), 8/22 (77), and 8/23 (77).
Note: the record for the warmest low ever in the month is 82 set back on 8/2/1999.|_______________________________________________________________________
Macon:
Average temperature for the month: 84.6 which was 4.6 degrees above normal. This ties the record for the month, which also occurred in 1954 and 1980. The warmest month ever for Macon is 86.6 set in July of 1986.
Number of times temperature reached or exceeded 100: 12
Hottest day: 105 on 8/10
Record high maximum temperatures were set on the following six days: 8/7 (100), 8/8 (100), 8/9 (103), 8/10 (105)*, 8/11 (101), and 8/15 (104).
The reading of 105 on 8/10 ties the record high for August, which has been reached several other times. The all time record high for Macon is 108 set on 7/13/1980.
Record high minimum temperatures were set on four days: 8/8 (77), 8/9 (78), 8/10 (76), and 8/11 (78).
Note: The record high minimum temperature for the month and all-time is 79, which has been reached several times.|