The 1936 North American heat wave was the most severe heat wave in the modern history of North America. It took place in the middle of the Great Depression of the 1930s, and caused catastrophic human suffering and an enormous economic toll. The death toll exceeded 5,000, and huge numbers of crops were destroyed by the heat and lack of moisture. Many state and city record high temperatures set during the 1936 heat wave still stand to this day. The heat wave followed one of the coldest winters on record.
Contents |
The heat wave started in late June, when temperatures across the US exceeded 100 °F (38 °C). The Midwest experienced some of the highest June temperatures on record. Drought conditions worsened. In the Northeast, temperatures climbed to the mid 90s °F (around 35 °C). The South and West started to heat up also, and also experienced drought. The heat wave began to extend into Canada. Moderate to extreme drought covered the entire continent. The dry and exposed soil contributed directly to the heat as happens normally in desert areas as the extreme heat entered the air by radiation and direct contact. Reports at the time and explored in the definitive works on the Dust Bowl told of soil temperatures reaching in excess of 200 °F (93 °C) at the four inch/10 cm level in regions of the Dust Bowl—such soil temperatures were sufficient to sterilise the soil by killing nitrogen-fixing bacteria and other microbes, delivering the final blow in the declining fertility of that soil which had not already blown away.
July was the peak month, in which temperatures reached all-time record levels—many of which still stand as of 2008. In Steele, North Dakota, temperatures reached 121 °F (49 °C), which remains North Dakota's record. In Ohio, temperatures reached 110 °F (43 °C), which nearly tied the previous record set in 1934. The states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and New Jersey also experienced record highs temperatures. The provinces of Ontario and Manitoba set still-standing record highs above 110 °F (43 °C). The probable record for warmest daily minimum temperature outside Death Valley, California and adjacent regions was set at Lincoln, Nebraska on 14 July 1936 when the overnight low was 91 °F (33 °C). Death Valley registers overnight minimum temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C) with some regularity during the hottest months of the year.
August was the warmest month on record for five states. Many experienced long stretches of 90 °F (32 °C) or warmer. Drought conditions worsened in some locations. Some states were only slightly above average.
The heat wave and drought largely ended in September, though many states were still drier and warmer than average. Many farmers' summer harvests were destroyed. Grounds and lawns remained parched. Annual temperatures returned to normal in the fall.
As many as 5,000 heat related deaths were reported [1][2]. Many people suffered from heat stroke, and heat exhaustion, particularly the elderly. Unlike today, air conditioning was in the early stages of development and was therefore absent from houses and commercial buildings alike. Many of the deaths occurred in built up city areas of Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Toronto and other urban areas. Farmers across the continent saw their worst harvest on record, causing corn and wheat prices to rise quickly. Droughts and heat waves were common in the 1930s. The 1930s are remembered as the driest and warmest decade for the US (the Dust Bowl years).
   | US National Climate Data Center - NCDC: US Climate at a Glance |
|
|
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Search
