When people talk about heat waves, it is most common to focus on the MAXIMUM temperatures. However, studies have shown that some of the greatest risks occur when temperatures stay elevated during the night time. A check for the highest 5-day average minimum temperatures, shows that the heat that dominated 1934 and 1936 carried over into the minimum temperatures as well. Of the 83 currently active stations that have records back to the 1930s, 22 set records for the warmest 5-day average minimum in 1934. Another 16 set their records in 1936. Chapman, in Dickinson County, tops the list with a 5-day average minimum temperature of 89 °F in July of 1934. Wellington, in Sumner County, set their warmest 5-day average minimum in August 1936 with an average of 86.4 °F. From August 10th to August 21st the low temperatures at Wellington didn’t drop below 80 °F. High temperatures were above 100 for the entire period, and reached 119 °F on the 12th.
Mary Knapp, Weather Data Library
mknapp@ksu.edu