Well as far as the temperatures across the Carolinas this year, it’s not just you. It has been warm this summer, but not as warm as you may think.

While most of central and western part of the country has been sweltering under record breaking heat for most of July, the Carolinas have been relatively cool compared to the average for this time of the year. In fact most of 2006 has been below normal temperature wise compared to the average.

Take a look at the numbers and remember the average temperature is the high and low average together for the entire month.

July’s average temperature has been 77.6 so far, which is 2.6 degrees below normal for July. The normal high for most of the month is 90-91.

The average temperature in June was 74.6, which was 1.9 degrees below normal.

May saw an average temperature of 65.8, 3.2 degrees below normal.

So we’ve been cooler than normal for the entire summer so far. I looked back at the rest of 2006 and only two months were at or above normal. April was 2.2 above normal and January was a whooping 5.3 above normal. The highest temperature we have hit so far this year has been 96 on June 22, not even in the month of July. But if you still think it’s been hot this summer, even after seeing the actual numbers, do you remember last July? We hit 100 two days in a row on July 26th and 27th.

It’s funny how perception sometimes doesn’t match up to reality when it comes to weather. This is something I have noticed. People always tell me things like it used to rain more or we used to be cooler or we used to get more snow. Most of the times I have to tell them the numbers really don’t support that perception. I think we look back on weather differently and perceive weather differently than what it act ually is as we age.

There certainly is some weird psychological affect of weather on people. For instance, have you ever noticed that the first warm day in the spring, like when it’s sunny and the highs are near 70, everyone says it’s warm and are outside wearing shorts and doing things outdoors? Then in the fall on the first cool, sunny day when the highs are 70 again people are wearing jackets and pants and call it refreshing.

It’s funny how the exact same temperature at different times of year can make people act so completely different. I guess it’s perception that matters in those cases, because after a long cool winter 70 does seem warm. As well as after a long hot humid summer 70 would feel cool.

For me though, I always like to see what the actual numbers are. That way I know it is me when I say, “Is it hot or cold in here or is it me?”