In their latest blog post, the North Carolina State Climate Office folks provide some interesting statistical details about the hottest day of the year at stations across the state and how they vary due to geography. When do you think the hottest day is? Is it when the sun is highest in the sky on the summer solstice? Not for most places. You can read more about the range of dates for the hottest temperature and why they occur when they do at https://climate.ncsu.edu/blog/2021/09/climate-curiosities-when-the-dog-days-are-the-doggonest.
