Today, at 3:59pm, marked the arrival of summer.  And we are sure feeling it! 116° in Palm Springs and 118° in thermal!

Records set or tied for Friday the 20th from the National Weather Service:

RECORD REPORT

SXUS76 KSGX 210032
RERSGX

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
530 PM PDT FRI JUN 20 2008

...HIGHEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS BROKEN OR TIED ON JUN 20...

LOCATION           NEW RECORD       OLD RECORD      PERIOD OF RECORD

BORREGO              116    TIED   116 IN 1989         SINCE 1948
BEAUMONT             108           105 IN 1954         SINCE 1948
BROWN FIELD           96            84 IN 1957         SINCE 1943
CAMPO COOP           105           102 IN 1989         SINCE 1948
EL CAJON             105            94 IN 1989         SINCE 1979
ELSINORE             110           108 IN 1954         SINCE 1948
ESCONDIDO            105            96 IN 1989         SINCE 1979
RAMONA AIRPORT       106            98 IN 1989         SINCE 1974
THERMAL              118           116 IN 1990         SINCE 1950
WILD ANIMAL PARK     105           101 IN 1989         SINCE 1979

...HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS BROKEN OR TIED ON JUN 20...

LOCATION           NEW RECORD       OLD RECORD      PERIOD OF RECORD

BEAUMONT             69             61 IN 1993         SINCE 1948
ELSINORE             62     TIED    62 IN 1997         SINCE 1948

Another day, another blistering day. The heat is expected to peak today (Friday) and a gradually cool down to seasonal (106°) temperatures is forecasted through next week. Stay cool!

Record report for June 19th from the National Weather Service:

RECORD REPORT

SXUS76 KSGX 200256 AAA
 RERSGX

 RECORD EVENT REPORT
 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
 530 PM PDT THU JUN 19 2008

 ...HIGHEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS BROKEN OR TIED ON JUN 19...

 LOCATION           NEW RECORD       OLD RECORD      PERIOD OF RECORD

 BEAUMONT             105           104 IN 1989         SINCE 1948
 EL CAJON             100            95 IN 1989         SINCE 1979
 PALM SPRINGS         116    TIED   116 IN 1989         SINCE 1927
 RAMONA FIRE          102    TIED   102 IN 1989         SINCE 1974
 RAMONA AIRPORT       102    TIED   102 IN 1989         SINCE 1974
 THERMAL              118           114 IN 1968         SINCE 1950
 VISTA                 95            94 IN 1973         SINCE 1957

 ...HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS BROKEN OR TIED ON JUN 19...

 LOCATION           NEW RECORD       OLD RECORD      PERIOD OF RECORD

 BEAUMONT             66             66 IN 1993         SINCE 1948


 SULLIVAN

National Weather Service (San Diego) Record Report for June 18th, 2008:

RECORD REPORT

SXUS76 KSGX 190355 AAA
 RERSGX

 RECORD EVENT REPORT
 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
 855 PM PDT WED JUN 18 2008

 ...HIGHEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS BROKEN OR TIED ON JUN 18...

 LOCATION           NEW RECORD       OLD RECORD      PERIOD OF RECORD

 CAMPO COOP           101    TIED   101 IN 1989         SINCE 1948
 EL CAJON              99            94 IN 2001         SINCE 1979
 ELSINORE             106           104 IN 1957         SINCE 1948
 ESCONDIDO             99    TIED    99 IN 1981         SINCE 1979
 IDYLLWILD             90    TIED    90 IN 1961         SINCE 1943
 PALM SPRINGS         115    TIED   115 IN 2001         SINCE 1927
 RAMONA FIRE          100    TIED   100 IN 1981         SINCE 1974
 RAMONA AIRPORT       101           100 IN 1981         SINCE 1974
 THERMAL              114    TIED   114 IN 1985         SINCE 1950
 WILD ANIMAL PARK     100    TIED   100 IN 1981         SINCE 1979

 ...HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS BROKEN OR TIED ON JUN 18...

 LOCATION           NEW RECORD       OLD RECORD      PERIOD OF RECORD

 BEAUMONT             65             60 IN 1981         SINCE 1948
 IDYLLWILD            57             56 IN 1988         SINCE 1943
 PALM SPRINGS         78             77 IN 1997         SINCE 1927

With the Monsoon season officially starting in the Southwest on June 15th. Our attention focuses on the occasional Cumulus clouds we see forming above the mountains surrounding the Coachella Valley (typically late July through early September). With those clouds sometimes come thunderstorms with amazing lightning displays.

With that in mind comes and an amazing site with spectacular lightning photography:
Lightning Photography by Susan Strom

As stated on her website “Susan Strom, known in the Southwest as the “Lightning Lady”, is a photographer who specializes in lightning of the Arizona Desert, United States. Severe weather powered by the North American Monsoon is her favorite target, although she is also drawn by some of the compelling and mysterious images of the American west. She has photographed severe weather in 10 states.”

I hope you enjoy!