Jefferson Recorded 76-Degree High on July 4, 1776 as 150 Million Americans Face Heat Alerts
Updated
Updated · Fox Weather · Jun 30
Jefferson Recorded 76-Degree High on July 4, 1776 as 150 Million Americans Face Heat Alerts
3 articles · Updated · Fox Weather · Jun 30
Summary
Thomas Jefferson’s weather log put Philadelphia at 72 degrees by 9 a.m. and 76 degrees by 1 p.m. on July 4, 1776, the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
The records show warm but not extreme conditions during the document’s final revision and approval, with Congress adopting the Declaration that afternoon and sending it for printing the next day.
Jefferson also logged 72 degrees on July 5, when copies were dispatched to committees, assemblies and Continental Army commanders, and an 80-degree peak on Aug. 2, when the Declaration was formally signed.
The historical weather detail comes as more than 150 million Americans are under heat alerts and over 230 million could see temperatures above 90 degrees ahead of the July 4 holiday and the nation’s 250th anniversary.