Steve Quayle News Alerts

August 7, 2003
By Chris Neely
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

As the temperature maintained a rolling boil Wednesday afternoon, Lesley Boone said the heat doesn't make her cranky.

"Never!" she said with a smile.

True to her word, Boone, a crossing guard at Shady Grove Elementary School in Keller, greeted each student with a cheery "Hello!" as they gathered at her corner.

When the children had gone, though, she had some choice words for the driver of a light brown sedan who tried to sneak around the corner while her back was turned.

"This is Texas," she yelled. "Use a blinker, mister!"

Despite our best intentions, most of us, Boone included, probably will be feeling a little testy for a few days as summer's blast furnace continues at full roar.

With a high temperature of 109 degrees, Wednesday was the hottest day in the Metroplex this year and broke the day's record of 108 set in 1952. It was the hottest day in the Metroplex since Sept. 4, 2000, when it was 111 degrees.

Wednesday was also the third consecutive day -- and the 13th this year -- that the temperature reached at least 100 degrees. According to the National Weather Service, today will be the fourth straight 100-degree day, Friday will be the fifth, Saturday will be the sixth and, well, you get the picture.

"Really, it's not until early next week that our long-range projections throw us into a more favorable pattern," weather service meteorologist Al Moller said.

Heavy air-conditioner use caused the Texas electricity grid to post a record load of 58,645 megawatts by 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the grid.

The previous record was set Aug. 31, 2000, when the load reached 57,606 megawatts. A megawatt can power about 700 homes.

With or without air conditioning, a string of days under the blazing Texas sun takes its toll on people, Arlington police Sgt. Will Johnson said.

"Generally, crime trends and calls for service increase during the summer months," he said. "We tend to get a lot of public nuisance crimes, like loud noise disturbances."

That just doesn't make sense to Keller police Lt. Tommy Williams.

"If I were contemplating a crime, I'd wait until October," he said.

Statewide, it's the same story, said Lori Kirk, a statistician for the Texas Department of Public Safety. In 2002, assaults and homicides peaked during August, she said.

"I can tell you it happens, but I can't tell you why it happens," Kirk said.

Robert Littlefield, a professor of psychology at Texas Woman's University in Denton, said he has a theory.

"Anything that increases fatigue and stress can cause people to be more reactive and less emotionally mature," he said.

In other words, sweating for prolonged periods can make you snippy.

Be that as it may, Boone, the uncross crossing guard, said she is not going to let the heat get her down.

"No, I live for this. I love it. Everything we do is for the safety of our babies," she said, fanning herself with her stop sign.

Then, pointing to a woman who had pulled her sky-blue minivan halfway into the intersection, she added: "Hello! Yeah, there's a crosswalk here!"

BY THE NUMBERS

108: Previous Aug. 6 record

104 Previous high this year

13: Triple-digit days this year

69: Record 100-degree days (1980)

113: Record temperature (1980)

SOURCE: National Weather Service

BREAKING 100

On average, the temperature in the Metroplex reaches at least 100 degrees 15 times a year. Last year, there was just one 100-degree day. Wednesday was this year's 13th, and the third consecutive 100-degree day this month.

Most consecutive 100-degree days

Rank Year Period Total days
1 1980 June 23 -- Aug. 3 - 42
2 1998 July 6 -- Aug. 3 - 29
3 1952 Aug. 2 -- Aug. 26 - 25
4 1999 July 28 -- Aug. 20 - 24
5 1954 July 9 -- July 28 - 20
6 1978 July 2 -- July 19 -18
7 1956 Aug. 2 -- Aug. 18 -17
8 1993 Aug. 9 -- Aug. 22 -14

Most 100-degree days in a year

Rank Year Total days
1 1980 - 69
2 1998 - 56
3 1954 - 52
4 1956 - 48
5 2000 - 46
6 1952 - 44
7 1951 - 40
8 1963 - 38
9 1978 - 36
10 (tie) 1943 - 34
10 (tie) 1934 -34

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/6478530.htm