June 30, 2014

---

---

The forecast for the week calls for highs in the mid–90s and lows in the mid–70s with only slight chances of rain late in the week.

By noon yesterday, the temperature was 88° (heat index 93°). Two hours later, it was 92° (heat index 99°). It was still over 90° at 8 p.m.

Last night's low was expected to be 78°. It was 77° when I got up this morning.

This morning's meter reading is 16688. Yesterday's reading was 16661. That means my consumption in the last 24 hours has been 27 kWh. That is 32% higher than the previous 24 hours — and exactly the same as it was a year ago today.

June 29, 2014

(I'm having trouble with my digital camera this morning so there won't be a photograph today.)

We had some drizzle in the morning yesterday, and some cloud cover in the afternoon, but mostly it was a warm late June day — not as warm as it has been historically, I guess, but warm enough.

The morning temperatures continued to be in the 70s, but it warmed into the 80s by noon, and, by 1 p.m., it was 86° (heat index 91°). By 4 p.m., it was 90° (heat index 96°).

Mid–90s are expected today.

Last night's low was supposed to be in the 70s. It was 80° when I woke up this morning.

This morning's meter reading is 16661. Yesterday's reading was between 16640 and 16641. Thus, my consumption was 20½ kWh in the last 24 hours. That is an increase of 2.5% over the previous 24 hours, and it is nearly 35% lower than this date in 2013.

June 28, 2014

---

---

Yep, the hot weather is back.

The mornings have remained cool and overcast, but, by 1 p.m. yesterday, the air temperature was 86°, and the heat index was 91°. It was overcast from time to time, but mostly the sun was shining, and, by 4 p.m., the air temperature was 90°, and the heat index was a stifling 98°.

Based on the forecasts, I'd say more of the same is expected today, tomorrow and for the foreseeable future.

Last night's low was supposed to be 75°. It was 77° when I got up.

Considering yesterday's conditions, I fully expected to see double–digit consumption, perhaps back in the 20s range. I wasn't disappointed — although I must admit it wasn't quite as bad as I feared.

This morning's meter reading is between 16640 and 16641. Yesterday's reading was between 16620 and 16621 so my consumption was 20 kWh. That is an increase of about 48% over yesterday's modest (for late June) total — but it is about 34% lower than my consumption on this day last year (when air temperatures were in triple digits).

June 27, 2014

---

---

The skies were cloudy yesterday morning. The temperature was 77° by 10 a.m., and I wondered if it would be like the previous five days — with rain and a sharp drop in temperatures in the afternoon.

But it was not to be. The skies were a little cloudy in the afternoon, but mostly the sun was shining. By 4 p.m., the temperature was 87° (heat index 90°). It may have gotten warmer than that before the temperature started to drop in the evening.

It never got hot enough for the air conditioning to run constantly — as I am sure it will in July and August — but it was still a lot nicer than I usually expect it to be in late June. My consumption did go up — but not nearly as much as I feared.

This morning's meter reading is between 16620 and 16621. Yesterday's reading was 16607. Thus, my consumption was 13½ kWh. That is nearly double my consumption in the previous 24 hours — but 13½ kWh is remarkably low, given that we're only a week away from the Fourth of July.

And it is nearly 56% lower than my consumption on this date in 2013.

June 26, 2014

---

---

Yesterday morning, I entertained the hope that maybe, for a fifth straight day, the heat would be restrained by clouds and, perhaps, a little rain.

By 1 p.m., the temperature was 84°. but the heat index was 90°. Humidity we had — but we also had clouds, and they lingered. Occasionally, the sun broke through the clouds.

And, lo and behold, it was a lot like the day before. Well, not quite. The rain came through around 2 p.m. yesterday (instead of 4 p.m. like the day before), but the temperature dropped into the 70s again. By 3 p.m., the temperature was 74°, and the forecast high had been revised from 90° in the morning to 85° in the afternoon.

It was 71° when I got up this morning

It sure has been a nice week weatherwise. I know it won't last. We're only a few days away from July, and it has been observed to me on many occasions that Dallas almost always sees a 100° reading by the Fourth of July.

But these cool, rainy afternoons remind me of the autumn days of my youth.

This morning's meter reading is 16607. Yesterday's reading was between 16599 and 16600. In the last 24 hours my consumption was 7½ kWh. That is my lowest daily consumption level in more than two weeks, and it is nearly 32% lower than my consumption in the previous 24 hours, and it is nearly 69% lower than my consumption on this date in 2013.

June 25, 2014

---

---

The heat was back yesterday, and it looks like it's going to stay for a few months.

Well, maybe not just yet.

The temperature was 87° before noon (heat index 91°). Two hours later, it was 92° (heat index 99°).

But then, around 3 p.m., the skies got cloudy again, and the temperature began to drop dramatically — to 79° by 4 p.m. By 6 p.m., it was 77°.

Last night's low was expected to be 74°. The temperature was 73° when I woke up.

This morning's meter reading is between 16599 and 16600. Yesterday's reading was between 16588 and 16589. That means my consumption in the last 24 hours was 11 kWh. That'a a modest rise from the previous 24 hours — nearly 5% — and it is nearly 61% lower than my consumption on this day in 2013.

June 24, 2014

---

---

To my great surprise, the cool front continued for, in effect, a third consecutive day although it did warm up late in the afternoon.

By noon yesterday, it was still cloudy, the temperature was only 73°, and the forecast had been revised downward to 85°. By 1 p.m., the sun had broken through the clouds, and the temperature had risen about 4°. The forecast for the day's high had not been revised again.

By 2 p.m., the temperature was in the low 80s. By 4 p.m., the temperature was 86° (heat index 89°). Sometime after 6 p.m., the air conditioning did come on for awhile — for the first time in more than 40 hours. The temperature by then was 88°.

Last night's low was expected to be 75°. It was actually 74° when I got up this morning.

I expected my consumption to go up — but I expected it to go up more than it actually did.

This morning's meter reading is between 16588 and 16589. Yesterday's reading was 16578. Therefore, my consumption was only 10½ kWh. That's 31% higher than my consumption in the previous 24 hours, but it is 62% lower than my consumption on this date in 2013.

June 23, 2014

---

---

The sky was overcast, and we had periods of rain yesterday. Above all, it remained cool. Blissfully so. At 11 a.m., the temperature was only 71°. By 1 p.m., it had risen only to 72°, and the forecast for the day had been revised to a high of only 82°. Honest.

But by 4 p.m., the temperature was only 75°, and the forecast had been further revised downward — to a high of 76°. It got there by 5 p.m. — barely.

Eventually, the clouds did part, and the sun came out, but the temperature still didn't reach 80° — well, maybe the heat index did.

Rain is now expected today — an 80% chance of it now, whereas it was about a 40% chance yesterday.

Originally, last night's low was supposed to be 76°. That had been revised downward, too — to 72°. It was 75° when I woke up this morning.

I was hoping for single digits. Of course, that kind of thing almost never happens here in the summer — at least not since I've been monitoring my meter, but, nevertheless ...

This morning's meter reading is 16578. Yesterday's reading was 16570. My consumption in the last 24 hours was an incredible 8 kWh. That's nearly 56% lower than my consumption in the previous 24 hours, and it is 69% lower than my consumption on this date in 2013.

June 22, 2014

---

---

It was mostly cloudy yesterday, and the temperature was still in the mid–80s by 2 p.m.

In fact, it has been drizzling a bit this morning, and today's forecast now calls for a high of only 87°.

Last night's low was expected to be 76°. That is exactly what the temperature was when I woke up.

This morning's meter reading is 16570. Yesterday's reading was 16552. My consumption (18 kWh) is 33% lower than it was 24 hours ago, and it is nearly 36% lower than it was on this date in 2013.

June 21, 2014

---

---

The sky was clear yesterday, it wasn't as humid, and the temperature was in the 90s for much of the day. By 5 p.m., it was 92°, but the heat index was only 93°.

Last night's low was expected to be in the mid–70s. The temperature was 79° when I got up this morning.

This morning's meter reading is 16552. Yesterday's reading was 16525. Consumption in the last 24 hours was 27 kWh. That is 8% higher than the previous 24 hours, and it is about 6% higher than my consumption a year ago.

June 20, 2014

---

---

It was a few degrees cooler at first yesterday — and it was overcast much of the day — but it was still warm and humid. Seasonable for Texas.

At noon yesterday, the temperature was 85° (heat index 88°). Three hours later, it was 92° (heat index 97°). Without the rain we had the day before, it stayed in the 90s past sunset.

Last night's low was expected to be 74°. It was 78° when I got up.

This morning's meter reading is 16525. The reading yesterday was 16500. My consumption in the last 24 hours was 25 kWh, nearly 39% higher than it was in the previous 24 hours, but it was only about 2% higher than this date in 2013.

June 19, 2014

---

---

The temperature was 87° (heat index 91°) before noon yesterday. An hour later, it was 90° (heat index 95°). That was already higher than predicted.

Shortly before 4 p.m., it was 94° (heat index 99°). I was certain my electricity consumption would go up. In the end, though, my electricity consumption actually went down.

During the afternoon, we had a couple of brief, light showers, but mostly the sky was clear. Then, around 6 p.m., we had a more substantial rain than we had had earlier. It didn't last a lot longer, but, when it was done, the temperature had dropped 10°–15°.

Last night's low was expected to be 75°. The temperature when I got up was 76°.

This morning's meter reading is 16500. Yesterday's reading was 16482. My consumption was 18 kWh, 28% lower than the previous 24–hour period.

It is 24% higher than my consumption a year ago, but that is much better than I expected.

June 18, 2014

---

---

The sun wasn't coy yesterday. We had some cloud cover in the morning, but, before noon, the skies had cleared, and the temperature was 88° (heat index of 92°).

It alternated between sunny and overcast through the afternoon. By 1 p.m., the temperature was 91° (heat index 94°). Two hours later, it was 93° (heat index 98°). By that time, the temperature had already exceeded the forecast high.

Last night's low was supposed to be 75°. It was 77° when I got up.

This morning's meter reading is 16482. Yesterday's reading was 16457. Consequently, my consumption was 25 kWh. That is about 14% higher than the previous 24 hours, and it is nearly 39% higher than my consumption on this date last year.

June 17, 2014

---

---

The weather pattern this month has been, for the most part, clouds in the morning, which have kept temperatures in the 70s, followed by sunshine (and much warmer temperatures) in the afternoon.

Sometimes it stays cloudy in the afternoon, which usually keeps the temperature down. Mostly, though, the afternoons have been sunny.

Yesterday morning was like most of the mornings in the last month. It was overcast. But the afternoon was a blend — with the sun peeking coyly from behind the clouds from time to time.

The temperature was 90° (heat index 94°) by 1 p.m.

Last night's low was expected to be 75°. It was 78° when I woke up.

This morning's meter reading is 16457. Yesterday's reading was 16435 so my consumption in the last 24 hours was 22 kWh. That is 12% lower than my consumption in the previous 24 hours, and it is nearly 28% lower than my consumption on this day a year ago.

June 16, 2014

---

---

There was a little cloud cover yesterday morning, but the sun came out with a vengeance in the afternoon. By 2 p.m., the temperature was 90° (heat index 95°). By 3 p.m., it was 92° (96° heat index). That was already higher than the revised prediction. I stopped following it after that.

Last night's low was expected to be 75°. It was 76° when I woke up.

This morning's meter reading is 16435. Yesterday's reading was 16410. That means consumption in the last 24 hours was 25 kWh. That is an increase of nearly 14% compared to the previous 24–hour period, and it is about 6% higher than my consumption on this date in 2013.

June 15, 2014

---

---

By 2 p.m. yesterday, the temperature was 89° (heat index 93°). Five hours later, I got the same reading. Maybe it cracked 90° at some point yesterday. I simply don't know.

Last night's low was expected to be 74°. It was 77° when I got up.

Yesterday, the extended forecast called for highs in the upper 80s this week. This morning, the forecast has been revised, and there are some 90s in the forecast now.

This morning's meter reading is 16410. Yesterday's reading was 16388. In the last 24 hours, I consumed 22 kWh. That's more than 15% lower than my consumption in the previous 24–hour period, and it is nearly 23% lower than my consumption on this day in 2013.

June 14, 2014

---

---

By 4 p.m. yesterday, the temperature was around 89° — which is, roughly, what was forecast. Some cloud cover early in the afternoon helped keep it from feeling quite that hot, but that didn't last. The heat index was 92° at 5 p.m.

Last night's low was supposed to be 73°. It was 76° when I woke up.

The outlook for today is for a high of 90°, then the revised forecast calls for highs in the upper 80s from Sunday through Thursday. We'll see.

This morning's reading is 16388. Yesterday's reading was 16362. My consumption in the last 24 hours was 26 kWh, a little more than double my consumption in the previous 24 hours, but it is about 13% lower than my consumption on this date in 2013.

June 13, 2014

---

---

By the middle of the day yesterday, the skies were still overcast and the temperature was in the mid–70s. It was only 75° by noon. By 4 p.m., it was 81°. It was 85° at 5 p.m.

It was humid, and it was warm, but it never got really hot. It didn't entirely cool down at night, though. It was 75° when I woke up this morning.

I was hoping it would stay mild all day, and it did. Now I'm hoping it will be mild most of the day today. The forecast is for a high of 88° so that is possible. Tonight's low is expected to be 71°.

Today's meter reading is 16362. Yesterday's reading was between 16349 and 16350 so my consumption in the last 24 hours was 12½ kWh. That is a drop of about 34% compared to the previous 24 hours, and it is about 56% lower than my consumption on this date in 2013.

June 12, 2014

---

---

The hot weather is back.

It kept inching toward 90° yesterday afternoon. The temperature was 88° just before 1 p.m. It was 89° just before 2 p.m. Then it raced past 90° — and hit 95° by 3 p.m.

Last night's low was expected to be 73°. It was 77° when I got up this morning.

There is a 40% chance of rain today, but the temperature is supposed to be in the 90s.

This morning's meter reading is between 16349 and 16350. Yesterday's reading was between 16330 and 16331. My consumption in the last 24 hours was 19 kWh, more than double my usage in the previous 24 hours. But it is nearly 40% lower than my consumption on this date last year.

June 11, 2014

---

---

Yesterday was warmer than the day before — but not hot. It was about 83° or 84° at its warmest. We're expecting to be back in the low 90s today.

Last night's low was expected to be 65°. It was 68° when I woke up.

Even though yesterday was warmer than Monday, I still expected to have a second consecutive single–digit consumption day — and I did.

This morning's meter reading is between 16330 and 16331. Yesterday's reading was between 16322 and 16323. My consumption in the last 24 hours was 8 kWh, 25% higher than my consumption in the previous 24 hours but nearly 41% lower than my consumption on this date last year.

We will be back in double digits tomorrow. Today's high is supposed to be 92°.

June 10, 2014

---

---

Yesterday was much cooler than originally expected. By midday, it was still in the 60s. It rose into the 70s by midafternoon, but the sky was overcast, and there was a light breeze most of the day. The highest temperature I saw all day was 79°. It was very pleasant.

Last night's low was supposed to be 67°. That is precisely what the temperature was when I woke up.

I had hopes of a single–digit consumption day, probably my last until October or November. And my hopes were rewarded handsomely.

This morning's meter reading is between 16322 and 16323. Yesterday's reading was between 12316 and 12317. My consumption in the last 24 hours was 6 kWh, more than 64% lower than the previous 24 hours — exactly the same as this date in 2013.

June 9, 2014

---

---

It has been raining this morning, and this is the only decent shot I could get of my meter. It's a little hard to read.

Anyway, most of yesterday was milder than it has been. The skies were mostly overcast, and the temperature by 4 p.m. was 87° (89° heat index). It must have gotten close to 90 before sunset.

Last night's low was supposed to be 72°, with a 60% chance of rain. It was 65° when I got up this morning, and it did rain during the night although it had mostly ended by the time I woke up.

This morning's meter reading is between 16316 and 16317. Yesterday's reading was 16297 so my consumption was 19½ kWh. That is a drop of 22% compared to the previous 24 hours, but we were still experiencing a bit of a cool front around here on this day last year so consumption is actually 56% higher than it was a year ago.

June 8, 2014

---

---

It was 90° (heat index 92°) by 1 p.m. yesterday. The forecast called for a high of 92°. Two hours later it was 94° (96° heat index). It was a toasty day.

A modest cool front is expected soon, though. There is a 70% chance of rain today and tonight and a 50% chance tomorrow. Tomorrow's high is supposed to be 85°, and Tuesday's is supposed to be 87°.

Those forecasts don't always pan out, though. Last night's low was expected to be 75°. It was 79° when I got up this morning.

This morning's meter reading is 16297. Yesterday's reading was 16272. My consumption in the last 24 hours has been 25 kWh. That's an increase of nearly 32% compared to the previous 24 hours, and it is nearly three times my consumption on this date last year.

June 7, 2014

---

---

Dallas is morphing into the kind of place it always is in the summer — hot and humid.

The only difference is that it has been overcast each morning; some days, it lasts well into the afternoon. This cloud cover hasn't led to much in the way of rain, but the forecast suggests that will change on Sunday night and Monday.

Yesterday was like that, but it wasn't quite as warm as it has been. The clouds hung around into the afternoon and kept the temperature below 90°. The forecast called for a high of 9° yesterday. It was 89° (heat index 93°) by mid–afternoon; by 5 p.m., it was 92°.

Last night's low was supposed to be 74°. It was 76° when I got up this morning.

This morning's meter reading is 16272. Yesterday's reading was 16253. That means my consumption was 19 kWh. That's a drop of nearly 14% compared to the previous 24 hours.

It was unseasonably cool around here on this date in 2013, though, so my consumption is almost three times what it was a year ago.

June 6, 2014

---

---

Yesterday didn't seem to be quite as hot as it has been — at first. The sky was overcast, and the temperature was still lingering in the 80s (although the heat index had reached 90°) by 2 p.m., but it seemed to get much warmer by late afternoon.

Last night's low was expected to be around 74°. That is roughly the range that is expected for the next few nights. The temperature was 77° when I got up.

This morning's meter reading is 16253. Yesterday's reading was 16231. Consumption in the last 24 hours was 22 kWh. That is an increase of nearly 7% compared to the previous 24–hour period, and it is the same as my consumption on this date last year.

June 5, 2014

---

---

Yesterday was much like the day before. It was mild and overcast early, but the sun came out by 9 a.m. and the temperature was already around 80°.

The forecast called for a high of 94° (heat index 98°) yesterday — it was 91°(heat index 97°) before 2 p.m. — and a low of 74° last night. It was 75*deg; when I got up.

This morning's meter reading is 16231. Yesterday's reading was between 16210 and 16211. Thus, my consumption in the last 24 hours was 20½ kWh, the same as the day before. It is nearly 14% higher than my consumption on this date a year ago, though.

June 4, 2014

---

---

When you factor in the heat index, yesterday was probably the hottest day we have had so far — but I have no illusions that it will remain that way for long.

It was already 80° by 9 a.m. The high was expected to be 94°. It was 90° with a heat index of 95° by 3 p.m. I don't know if it reached the predicted high, but it felt like it did.

Last night's low was expected to be 75°, and that is exactly what the temperature was when I got up this morning.

This morning's meter reading is between 16210 and 16211. Yesterday's reading was 16190 so my consumption in the last 24 hours was 20½ kWh. That is a drop of 18% compared to my usage in the previous 24 hours, which is the good news; obviously, I remembered a few things about keeping my electricity consumption down after my first experience with the A/C on Monday.

However, my consumption was more than 57% higher than my consumption on this date in 2013.

June 3, 2014

---

---

My air conditioning got fixed yesterday, and the temperature was in the 90s (heat index was higher than that) in the afternoon.

It is safe to say I expected to see summertime electricity usage when I checked my meter this morning, and I was right.

(Last night's low was expected to be about 74°, and it was 75° when I got up.)

This morning's meter reading is 16190. Yesterday's reading was between 16165 and 16166 so my consumption was 24½ kWh. That is more than twice my consumption in the previous 24 hours, and it is more than twice my consumption on this day last year.

But it was my first real experience with the A/C since last fall, and I have a better handle on how to set it to keep usage down. Well, I think I do. We will see.

June 2, 2014

---

---

The temperature yesterday got into the 90s — fairly early in the day, too — so I broke down and finally ran my air conditioning — or tried to — for the first time this year.

But it didn't work. The blower inside the apartment was running, but the external unit was not, and, by 4 p.m., the outside temperature was 90° (heat index 93°). It was at least that warm inside.

Last night't low was expected to be in the low 70s. It was 75° when I got up this morning.

After futilely running my air conditioning for a couple of hours yesterday, I expected to see my electricity consumption go up, probably into double digits. Amazingly, though, it did not. I can only guess that is because the external unit was not working.

This morning's meter reading is between 16165 and 16166. Yesterday's reading was 16156 so my consumption in the last 24 hours was 9½ kWh. That is an increase of nearly 36% compared to the previous 24 hours, but nothing like I was expecting.

It is nearly half of my consumption of a year ago.

June 1, 2014

---

---

Well, I got through May without using my air conditioning, but those days are soon to be over, I fear. They might end today.

This week's forecast is calling for daily highs in the 90s. We might stay in the mid– to upper 80s today and tomorrow, but the forecast is pretty certain about 90s coming into the area by Tuesday.

The meteorologists also said last night's low would be between 68° and 70°. It was 70° when I got up this morning, and the forecast for the next seven days says we can expect 70s at night and 90s during the day.

Rain, too, appears to be out of the immediate forecast.

This morning's meter reading is 16156. Yesterday's reading was 16149. Thus, my consumption in the last 24 hours was 7 kWh. That is 12% lower than my consumption in the previous 24 hours — and it is more than two–thirds lower than my consumption on this date in 2013.