Summer weather is definitely here. With temperatures forecasted to peak at 96° and a heat index of 106°, it promises to be a hot one…but it could always be worse.

On June 29, 2012, Lawrence County’s all-time high temperature record was set at 106° Fahrenheit. It was an exceptionally hot week; the next day set Lawrenceburg’s third-highest temperature record at 103° F. Our second-highest recorded temperature was 104° F, on August 15, 2007.

The 2012 Heat Wave was caused by a high-pressure ridge which trapped heat close to the ground. Nationwide, the heat wave contributed to the deaths of 82 people and shattered many temperature records. Tennessee, where the ridge settled at the end of June, was particularly hard-hit, with most of the major cities in the state setting single-day temperature records. An unconfirmed temperature of 113° F was reported in Smyrna. If accurate, this would be the highest temperature ever recorded in Tennessee history.

Lawrenceburg’s official temperature records go back to 1954. Of the top twenty hottest days on record here, fifteen have occurred since 2000.

Thanks to our friends at Tennessee Valley Weather for providing me with detailed temperature records for our area for this post!