Did It Hit 100 Degrees in Burlington County Today?

Burlington County may have hit 100 degrees this afternoon. We’re not talking about the heat index (or “feels like”) reading either. The air temperature at the McGuire Air Force Base just before 3 pm read 100*F, according to the National Weather Service.

The dew point is very sticky 75*, meaning the heat index (or what it feels like outside) is at a boiling 114*!

No other reporting site across the area has reported a triple-digit reading in this heatwave (so far). So we reached out to the National Weather Service for a comment. They told us that the temperature measurements from the base spiked this afternoon and aren't representative of the area given the fact the surrounding temperatures are lower.

"It is military-owned and maintained so we (the National Weather Service) do not quality control or keep records of this data," they said.  "Seems like some sort of sensor error or malfunction."

No matter how you slice, it, however, it's QUITE hot across our area. In New Jersey,  the next highest reading was from Toms River, where they’re reporting a 97* reading. It feels like 104* in Toms River right now.

At the same time, Philadelphia was reporting a temperature of 93*, with a heat index around 103*.

By the way, if you’re in your car today, you’re probably seeing outrageous temperature readings well over 100*, right? Well, they’re not the most accurate reading (no matter what kind of car you drive).

Car thermometers notoriously report a significantly higher temperature than the actual one. So it’s not accurate.

Why is this? Well, the Weather Channel says there are two reasons.

Your car is reading the temperature from a thermistor (not a thermometer). We won’t bore you with too much science, but a thermistor measures the change in electrical current as a result of heat added or removed (plus, they’re cheaper than a liquid mercury thermometer).

Additionally, “most automakers place the thermistor on the front of the car behind the grille,” Weather.com explains. “This location exposes the instrument’s readings to re-radiated heat from the road surface.” And we all know how hot blacktop can be on a day like today.