In July the central part of North America heats up with sunny skies and southwesterly or westerly winds producing the hottest temperatures of the year. High pressure systems dominate, clearing the skies and diminishing rainfall. July is the warmest and sunniest month of the year everywhere in the Upper Midwest except for a few locations along Lake Superior. The peak of summer in the Twin Cities area is July 26 which is statistically our warmest day of the year. The warmest air temperature ever recorded for the Twin Cities was 108 degrees Fahrenheit on July 14, 1936. On July 29, 1917 the temperature hit 114.5 degrees in Beardsley; the highest ever recorded in Minnesota.

When it really gets hot in Minnesota many people think about jumping in one of the lakes. Lake surface temperatures over 80 degrees are not unusual during hot spells. In summer, some people worry about American robins hunting on their lawns under the intense heat rays from the sun, panting with open bills. Birds have no sweat glands so in the warm weather they get rid of excess body heat by panting. During the hottest part of the day, birds become less active and find shaded places where they pant and rest.

JIM GILBERT