Record high temperatures on the Hill

August 2022 was hot with record temperatures all over Southern California. Death Valley reached 127 degrees one day last week. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported, “August was roughly 2 to 3.5 degrees warmer than average for most areas.”

While millions in the region had to endure the high temperatures and even, perhaps, moderate their air conditioning to save power, Idyllwild and the Hill were the areas setting the most records.

Starting Tuesday, Aug. 23, Idyllwild was on NWS’ radar. Perhaps it wasn’t regional media, but for those who follow the data, this is where multiple records were being tied or set.

And as of Monday, Sept. 4, NWS was forecasting a continuing “Excessive Heat Warning” for the Southern California mountains. Temperatures could reach 99 degrees by Wednesday evening, NWS warned.

On Aug. 23, the Hill high temperature was 94 degrees. Only the second time since the recording of weather data on the Hill, which began in 1943, has Aug. 23 been that hot. The first occurrence was 1969, more than 50 years ago, one of the last times that spirits were served at the Hotel California, the summer of Woodstock, Apollo 11 moon landings and the Boeing 747 flies.

Eight days later, August 31, the Idyllwild temperature (at the Idyllwild Fire Station) was recorded as 96 degrees, 2 degrees greater than the previous high recorded in 2017. NWS described this reading as “noteworthy.”

Between Aug. 23 and 31, an eight-day interval, only one Southern California area, Vista, had achieved a high temperature record.

Two other highs were recorded that day — 106 at Anaheim and 105 at Campo, both noteworthy, too.

On Sept. 1 and 2, Big Bear, another mountain town, set record high temperatures. On Thursday, Sept. 1, the high at Big Bear was 86 degrees. The next day it was recorded at 87 degrees.

In the San Jacinto Mountains, Idyllwild also experienced temperature highs previously not recorded. The new Sept. 2 record was 96 degrees, equaling the 1950 high. Saturday, Sept. 3, the daytime high in Idyllwild was 98 degrees, setting another new high temperature record. Only two years ago, in 2020, the previous Sept. 3 high temperature was 95 degrees.

While the Hill did not set any record high temperatures on Sunday, nearby San Jacinto reached 108 degrees, its highest on this date since 1984.

For all of August, the average daily temperature (the sum of the day’s high and low temperatures divided by two) was 2.7 degrees greater than the normal daily average.

Despite monsoonal patterns over the mountains, Idyllwild received 0.55 inches of rain, which is almost 10% less than the average August rainfall of 0.60 inches.

For September, NWS is forecasting slightly above-average temperatures and normal precipitation.