1980 United States heat wave

The 1980 United States heat wave was a period of strong heat and drought. It caused serious havoc and damage in the Southern Great Plains and much of the Midwestern United States during the summer of 1980. It was one of the most devastating and damaging natural disasters in terms of deaths.

The heat wave first got started in June 1980. A strong high pressure area began building in the central and Southern United States. That allowed the temperatures to soar to  almost every day from June to September. This high pressure system acted as a cap on the atmosphere. That prevented thunderstorm development and caused severe drought conditions. But the heat wave broke when the dying Hurricane Allen stopped the weather pattern.

The heat wave and drought led a number of cities in the Midwest and South to have record heat. In Kansas City, Missouri, the high temperature was only below  twice. In the same city, the high temperature hit  17 days in a row. In Memphis, Tennessee, the high temperature reached  on Sunday, July 13. It was part of a 15-day stretch of  temperatures that lasted from July 6 to July 20.

The agricultural damage by the 1980 heat wave and drought was over $20 billion (1980 USD). That allowed the temperatures to soar to  almost every day from June to September. This high pressure system acted as a cap on the atmosphere.

In Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, high temperatures exceeded  a total of 69 times. Forty-two of those were consecutive days. In Dallas-Fort Worth, the high temperature hit  on two days: June 26 and 27.

References

Category:Severe weather
Category:Droughts
Category:Natural disasters in the United States
Category:1980 in the United States
Category:1980s in weather