The sun was highest in our sky back on June 21, the first day of summer. But the hottest time of the year, on average, isn't until late July.

Of course, "hot" is a relative term, but around here, 90 degrees is a reasonable definition. Using past statistics, we can see what the probability is of hitting 90 at various times of the year. There have actually been a few 90-degree days in April, and by the second half of May the chance of reaching 90 on any given day is about 5%. The probability goes up to 10% in the first half of June, and shoots up to almost 20% during the second half. July has the highest chance overall, with the probability peaking at nearly 30% late in the month.

In August, the odds of reaching 90 degrees on any given day fall off sharply, to just above 10% by the second half of the month. And by the time we officially end summer and welcome autumn in late September, the chance of hitting 90 degrees is down to only about 2 out of every 100 days.