Today’s rains will bring welcome cooler temperatures. Temperatures this past week shot up high enough to break all-time records in LaGrange
Saturday’s high of 106 broke the all-time record for LaGrange. The previous mark was set when 104 was posted at LaGrange-Callaway Airport for three consecutive days, July 23-25, 1952. Saturday’s high also shattered the record for that date, 100 degrees set in 1959.
Sunday’s high of 104 broke the record for the date, 100 set in 1959. And on Friday, the mercury reached 102 to surpass the previous record of 100 set in 1978.
With today’s forecast of a high of 102, the record of 98 in 1954 could also be broken. The normal high this time of year is 90.
This kind of heat can be dangerous to people spending time outside and also for the elderly.
“This is a dangerous time. We encourage people to check on their loved ones and people in the neighborhood, especially seniors. Our elderly are at risk,” said Jerome Anderson, executive director of Community Action for Improvement. “We don’t have a lot of customers who don’t have air conditioning, but we do have a lot of cases where they can’t afford the utility bills when they use air conditioning in a critical situation like this.”
There are no official cooling centers in Troup County, but there are places where people can go to stay cool, Anderson said.
“I suggest they go to the senior centers, the recreation centers, the library, the mall. Those places aren’t officially designated cool centers, but they are places where you can go to be in a cool environment,” he said.
Griggs Recreation Center saw a big increase in the number of children at the pool.
“It was kind of slow at the beginning of the week, but as the heat increased, our numbers went from an average of 25 kids to as many as 75 kids in the pool on Thursday and Friday,” said Anthony Freeman, recreation supervisor at Griggs Center. “Once the pool closes at 5, most of the kids just came over to the building and stayed to keep cool. We even had people walking by just stop in, get a drink of water and cool off.”
Attendance was also up at the Active Life, the LaGrange senior center.
“We did have a bump in numbers on Friday, but a lot of our seniors are just not getting out in the heat at all. They’re staying home if it’s cool there,” said Dan Wooten, director of the Active Life.
The years with the most summertime record highs in LaGrange were 1952 and 1954. In 1952, records highs were set on 13 dates from June through August. Included was a stretch of marks of 100 or higher on eight of the nine days from July 21 through July 29.
In addition to 13 record highs in the summer, 1954 added 14 dates in September, including 100 degrees Sept. 19. The warm temperatures that year continued into October, when record highs were set on nine dates.
Temperature records have been kept at the airport since 1948.
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