Hot! Global warming at work? Nah, it's just summer

Blame a hot summer, not global warming, for a spate of blazing hot temperatures and multiple all-time record highs being set across Utah.

"We've moved past what you expect for a typical season," said Kevin Barjenbruch, warning coordinating meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City.

"In a typical year, on average, we reach 100 degrees or exceed 100 degrees five times," he said, speaking of the Salt Lake City temperature, basically the same as the heat measured at the airport. "And thus far this year we're already up to eight days where we've reached or exceeded 100 degrees."

• Salt Lake City International Airport set record high temperatures for the date on July 6 (103, a degree higher than the old record set in 1973).

• Last Saturday (July 14) the airport's high of 104 broke the record of 103 degrees set in 1939.

• Sunday (July 15) saw a record of 105, tying the 2003 record set at the airport.

These are among a host of records recently set throughout Utah, including a new "high minimum" temperature at the airport when the night didn't dip below the upper 70s.

But that's not to say northern Utah necessarily will have more days in the 100s this summer than previously. In 2006, nine days hit the century mark; in 2005, eight.

1994 was the worst year on the books, as far as extremely hot days in Salt Lake City are concerned: 21. Official climate reports go back to 1874.

Is there a chance the city's discomfort will beat what happened in 1994? "You know, it's a long shot at this point," Barjenbruch said. "We're 13 days shy of that now."

When interviewed Monday, he said the outlook was not for extremely hot temperatures by the end of the day. And he added that today the high probably will reach a little below 100, with temperatures knocked down by clouds and precipitation.

"But it does look like for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we have excellent chances of reaching or exceeding that temperature," he added. On those days, temperatures may reach 102 or 103. This coming weekend, more cloudiness and moisture should move in, cooling off the state a little.

Consequences of global warming?