Is That Thermometer’s Temperature Accurate?

By ABC-7’s Andrew Chung

When you’re driving, the local bank may have a thermometer that registers what looks like an abnormally high temperature.

Around 1pm Thursday, the thermometer at a Walgreen’s drug store sign at the corner of Redd and Resler read 93 degrees, while the thermometer at Franklin High School just across the street read 105!

While El Paso has experienced high temperatures in the triple digits lately, the actual temperature at that time of day was in the lower 90s.

So what is going on?

Many of these thermometers are directly exposed to the hot sun, instead of the shade, hence the abnormally high reading.

An ideal thermometer should be placed away from buildings, be at least five feet off the ground, and have a ventilation cover that’s painted white.

Greg Lundeen from the National Weather Service says the thermometer should also be kept in an open area away from buildings and trees, and should also be placed on natural ground, away from asphalt and concrete surfaces.

Car thermometers can also give inaccurate readings, since they can be subject to engine heat as well as heat from the road.

So the next time you drive, take those temperatures with a grain of salt.