Now that the mercury out at BWI-Marshall has topped 90 degrees for Friday, we are looking at a consecutive string of nine days at 90 or more. That seemed like a lot until I looked back at June

and realized we had an 11-day stretch of 90-plus weather, from June 19-29.

I've had a little exchange on the topic with Steve Zubrick - science officer for the National Weather Service forecast office out in Sterling Va. With more hot weather forecast this weekend, I thought we might be nearing some kind of record.

We are, but not for consecutive days at 90 or more. Steve pointed out that the record for consecutive days at 90 or above is 25 days, set July 12 through Aug. 5, 1995. How quickly we forget.

If the Sterling forecast holds, however, Steve observed that by July 29, we will have extended the string of 90-plus days at BWI-Marshall to 15 days. That's still well short of the record. However, that would bring the month's total (not consecutive) number of days in the 90s or worse to 22 days. And THAT would tie the record for the greatest number of days in July with highs of 90 or above (set in 1999). It would also bring the year's total to 43 days.

Then, if we suppose just one of the last two days of this month (beyond the current forecast) tops 90, and add only the average number of 90-degree days in August and September (10), we would have a total of 54 days at 90 or above for the year. And that would tie the record of 54 days for one year in Baltimore.

And the temperature forecast calls for an above-normal August and September.

"It does appear, based on the above analysis, that Baltimore will probably break its single calendar year record of 90-plus days," he said, landing somewhere between 55 and 60 days.

Please, spare us.

(SUN PHOTO: Tasha Treadwell, 2009)