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Weather in Kentucky<\/strong> is turning increasingly oppressive<\/strong> this week, as a massive heat dome<\/strong> tightens its grip on the Midwest<\/strong>. In Louisville<\/strong>, heat index values<\/strong> are soaring to 105\u00b0F (40.5\u00b0C)<\/strong> or higher, making conditions feel dangerously humid and sweltering<\/strong>, even with some scattered thunderstorms<\/strong> in the forecast.<\/p>\n With a heat advisory<\/strong> currently affecting dozens of counties across Kentucky<\/strong>, the National Weather Service in Louisville<\/strong> is closely monitoring the situation. But no matter how uncomfortable<\/strong> the 90\u00b0F (32.2\u00b0C)<\/strong> days might feel now, they’re still milder<\/strong> than the hottest day ever recorded<\/strong> in the Bluegrass State<\/strong>.<\/p>\n July 28, 1930<\/strong> still holds the title as the scorching peak<\/strong> in Kentucky weather history<\/strong>. On that day, Greenburg<\/strong>, located about 82 miles south of Louisville<\/strong>, endured an unprecedented high of 114\u00b0F (45.5\u00b0C)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n This blistering temperature, verified by the NWS<\/strong>, remains the state\u2019s all-time heat record<\/strong> \u2014 a record that has stood unchallenged for nearly a century<\/strong>. That year, the summer of 1930<\/strong> was brutally hot across much of the United States<\/strong>, but Kentucky<\/strong> saw some of the most extreme readings.<\/p>\n Back in 1930<\/strong>, air conditioning<\/strong> was still a futuristic concept for the average Kentucky household<\/strong>. The first window-mounted AC unit<\/strong> wouldn\u2019t be patented until 1931<\/strong>, and it wasn\u2019t until 1932<\/strong> that models became commercially available \u2014 for the wealthiest Americans<\/strong> only.<\/p>\n With prices between $10,000 and $50,000<\/strong> back then (equivalent to $236,000\u2013$1.2 million<\/strong> today), the vast majority of Kentuckians<\/strong> had to brave the heat with nothing more than open windows and fans<\/strong>.<\/p>\n While Greenburg<\/strong> claims the state\u2019s top temperature, Louisville<\/strong> has also endured some extreme summer heat<\/strong>. The city’s record high<\/strong> is 107\u00b0F (41.7\u00b0C)<\/strong> \u2014 reached three times<\/strong>: July 14, 1936<\/strong>, July 28, 1930<\/strong>, and July 24, 1901<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Notably, July 28, 1930<\/strong> remains a shared milestone, marking it as one of the hottest dates<\/strong> statewide and locally.<\/p>\n Beyond summer heat, Louisville<\/strong> and the rest of Kentucky<\/strong> have seen their share of wild weather<\/strong> over the decades.<\/p>\n The heaviest 24-hour rainfall<\/strong> occurred on March 1, 1997<\/strong>, when Louisville<\/strong> recorded 10.48 inches (266.2 mm)<\/strong> of rain \u2014 the highest statewide<\/strong> total on record.<\/p>\n For snow, Lewisport<\/strong> holds the record with 20 inches (50.8 cm)<\/strong> in a single day on December 23, 2004<\/strong>, while Louisville<\/strong> saw 15.5 inches (39.4 cm)<\/strong> on January 17, 1994<\/strong>.<\/p>\n And the coldest temperature ever recorded in Kentucky<\/strong>? That would be -37\u00b0F (-38.3\u00b0C)<\/strong> in Shelbyville<\/strong>, Shelby County<\/strong>, on January 19, 1994<\/strong>. That same morning, Louisville<\/strong> dropped to a chilling -22\u00b0F (-30\u00b0C)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Tuesday<\/strong>: Expect mostly sunny<\/strong> skies with only a 20% chance<\/strong> of afternoon showers and thunderstorms<\/strong>. Highs will approach 97\u00b0F (36.1\u00b0C)<\/strong>, with a low around 76\u00b0F (24.4\u00b0C)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Wednesday<\/strong>: A bit more unsettled, with patchy morning fog<\/strong>, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms<\/strong> after 11 a.m.<\/strong> Temperatures will reach 96\u00b0F (35.5\u00b0C)<\/strong>, dipping to 75\u00b0F (23.8\u00b0C)<\/strong> overnight. Heat index values<\/strong> will again flirt with 105\u00b0F (40.5\u00b0C)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Thursday<\/strong>: Conditions stay hot and mostly sunny<\/strong>, with more afternoon thunderstorms<\/strong> possible. High near 94\u00b0F (34.4\u00b0C)<\/strong>, low around 76\u00b0F (24.4\u00b0C)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Friday<\/strong>: A 40% chance<\/strong> of showers and storms<\/strong> under mostly sunny skies<\/strong>. High near 94\u00b0F (34.4\u00b0C)<\/strong>, with an overnight low of 75\u00b0F (23.8\u00b0C)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Saturday<\/strong>: Storm activity increases, with showers and thunderstorms likely<\/strong> in the afternoon. Daytime highs near 93\u00b0F (33.8\u00b0C)<\/strong>, low around 74\u00b0F (23.3\u00b0C)<\/strong>. 60% chance of rain<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Sunday<\/strong>: Continued storm potential<\/strong>, partly sunny with more showers and thunderstorms likely<\/strong>. High near 93\u00b0F (33.8\u00b0C)<\/strong>, low again near 74\u00b0F (23.3\u00b0C)<\/strong>. Precipitation chance remains at 60%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Weather in Kentucky is turning increasingly oppressive this week, as a massive heat dome tightens its grip on the Midwest. In Louisville, heat index values are soaring to 105\u00b0F (40.5\u00b0C) or higher, making conditions feel dangerously humid and sweltering, even with some scattered thunderstorms in the forecast. With a heat advisory currently affecting dozens of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":5031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/h2>\n
The hottest day ever recorded in Kentucky<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Air conditioning in the 1930s? Not even close<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Louisville\u2019s own record heat: Three scorching days<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Louisville\u2019s weather extremes: rain, snow, and bitter cold<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Forecast for Louisville: Hot, humid, and stormy through Sunday<\/strong><\/h2>\n