How Hot Was it? Wyoming History

How hot was it? Or today, how hot is it?

On a cool day last fall - Guernsey State Park - Davis Bay

Well, it was too hot, after all, it is Wyoming in July. The Wyoming Climate Atlas says the hottest day in Wyoming was July 12, 1900, when it reached 116 in the Red Desert, other sources list the 115 degrees at Basin on August 8, 1983, as the warmest. Not sure why there is a discrepancy but would guess, records, along with measuring instruments from more than a century ago were not as accurate as today.

"Too Hot, Think I Will Go Back Down" - Laramie Range Prarie Dog

Why all the talk about the weather, other than that is what old guys like me do? Because it’s pretty warm right now. Up to 77 where I sit in the far corner of our air-conditioned house, the rest of the house is 74ish, and the deck, well it feels about 200 out there, think I will stay inside. Actually, it is 96 outside and our warmest day of the summer.

More than a hundred years ago, without air-conditioning, people used various methods of keeping cool. Sleeping outside, or on sheets wetted down were two ways that people tried to beat the oppressive heat of summer. Light colored, loose fitting dresses and shirts, were also the order of the day. Both men and women normally wore long sleeves when working outside to avoid sunburned arms. The famous farmer tan must not have come around until after the invention of tractors and tee-shirts.