It's been hotter than blue blazes

WESTSIDE — Yep, you’re right. It’s been hotter than blue blazes the past week or so. I’ve wondered where that saying originated. Someone needs to look it up on the Internet and let me know.

After a couple of 105-degree days last week, the mercury soared to 106 Sunday afternoon before a mini-cool breeze hit in late afternoon. That’s the hottest temp recorded at the NOAA weather station in Gravette since the 106 on August 11, 1999. I remember that one. It was my birthday, the first year I hit 49. We were going to make homemade ice cream. Couldn’t find the old freezer.

But back to the weather, bear with me a few paragraphs to remind us that this hot spell is really lukewarm compared to those of several years past. You’ll get a real surprise, though, when you read the nextto-last paragraph of the “Cuff.” Don’t peek.

There have been numerous years when the mercury never hit the 100-mark in Gravette and the area. But, of course,there were those other years. Such as 2000 when the mercury soared past the century mark on 17 days, topping out at 107 on Sept. 1 and then hitting 108 the following day. An interesting aside: There was frost on Sept. 26 that year and the temperature dipped to 33 degrees. Nothing is more fickle than the weather.

Twenty years earlier, 1980, was another hot year when there were 18 days in July and August, with 100-degree days, hitting 108 on Aug. 17. A comment on the monthly report indicated that was the hottest day in Gravette since July 13, 1954, when the recorded temperature was 113 degrees. That summer the mercury reached the century mark on 47 days.

But, as old-timers can remember, the real heat waves occurred during the Depression, Dust Bowl days of the 1930s. We complain about the heat today. People during those bleak days coped with even worse conditions without the benefit of insulated homes, air conditioningand ice makers. Where would we be without these improvements?

The year 1934 was bad with 41 100-degree-plus days with a peak of 109 on July 24. But the alltime high recorded at the Gravette station occurred two years later on July 12, 1936, when a record 114 degrees scalded the area. That was and is hot.

This year’s 106 degrees on Sunday seems cool in comparison, with only 16 hundred-degree days.

Now that you’ve waded through all those numbers which, unless you’re looking at printed charts of information, can be mind-boggling, just to put everything in perspective ... let’s look backward just one year to 2010.

It was just a year ago when the mercury soared to the hundred mark on 20 days and hit 105 degrees on five days. How quickly we forget.

Let’s hope the temperature moderates for the Decatur Barbecue on Aug. 5 and for Gravette Days Aug. 11, 12 and 13. Let’s all plan to attend those events, find a shady spot, drink ice-cold lemonade and enjoy ourselves at these old-time celebrations.

Dodie Evans is the editor emeritus of the Westside Eagle Observer and may be contacted by e-mail at [email protected].