07/24/2025
Adjustments to walks will be made accordingly next week, especially for brachy dogs. Please don't leave your pets outside unattended during the coming heat wave.
This is a somewhat long post, but I feel it's worth it.
Let me first start off by acknowledging that I know it gets hot in the summer. I was born in the morning - not this morning.
WRAL Kat Campbell is forecasting at least 5-straight days of 100-degree heat for the Triangle and Sandhills. That starts Saturday. The longest such stretch is 6-straight days in August of 2012.
The meteorology is there, and I've shown that below. Near-record strength of high pressure (aka "heat dome") is likely. Air beneath the high sinks. Sinking air compresses. Compression heats things up. The stronger the high, the higher the heat.
This lasts for days at a time, leading to high afternoon temperatures and not much relief at night.
Then, there's the social science. A lot of us are fatigued by the weather, be it floods, heat/humidity, etc. I get it. You'd rather bury your head in the sand and ignore it. Please don't.
I'm not saying "you'll die if you go outside." You just have to be smart. For instance, I'm going to a concert outside Sunday. I'm not drinking alcohol that day. Water, electrolytes, etc.
If you can, avoid doing anything strenuous during the peak heat hours of the day. Turn your A/C up (ie. if you routinely keep it at 72, consider taking it to 74/75). Check on the young/elderly/pets. Never leave a living thing in a hot car.
A LOT of this is common sense, but it's worth reiterating. Stay cool, and stay weather aware!
There may be a bit of a cool-down coming our way during the first week of August.
