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Jason Samenow of the Washington Post is my choice to head up the Department of Stupid Statistics. Here are some suggestions.
- June 2012 was the first June where the temperature on June 25, 26 and 29 was 95 degrees by 10:30 in the morning
- June 2012 was the first year with three days that reached 99 degrees by 11 am but didn’t reach 102 degrees by 3pm
Statistics that must never be used are things like :
- The total number of hot days
- The trend in the number of hot days
- The number of days over 100 degrees
- The average high for the summer
- The decadal trend for hot days
- The hottest days of the summer
Most importantly – pick only very isolated one shot statistics to support the non-existent trend you are trying to prove.
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