In the summer of 1964 my midwestern family of six took a summer vacation — camping in national parks in the western US and Canadian Rockies. The Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff, Jasper. On our return drive east to Ohio at the end of that trip we drove across South Dakota on a bright sunny 106 degree day. There was no AC in our Dodge station wagon and in my brief experience — that seemed awfully hot. That remained by personal high for the next 30 years, until June of 1990.
In late June of 1990 I found myself driving a 1968 ford pickup west across Arizona through Needles CA, enroute to a job in central California. Midday in Needles when I drove through, it was 113 and it seems I was lucky — the highs later that month reached a sizzling 118.
Since then, I’ve worked outside in the sun on countless days in the low 100s in Florida, California and Mexico, but driving my truck that day in June 1990 from Needles to Bakersfield was the hottest I’ve ever experienced.
This weekend high temps across wide swaths of the Southwest may rise above 115 —
Notorious hot spot Death Valley, home to the world's all-time hottest temperature of 134 degrees, will soar to 123 degrees by Sunday. Nights won't provide much relief: the low temperature will drop to only the low 90s.www.usatoday.com/...
if you’re working outside or travelling in this heatwave— stay hydrated, keep plenty of water on hand, be extra careful and watch out for people in distress.
So, where and when was your hottest day?