Huntington is WV's hottest city ...

... according to the Census Bureau's latest edition of the County and City Data Book.

According to the section on Government and Climate, Huntington's average daily temperature in July from 1971-2000 wqas 76.3 degrees, which was the highest among the five major cities: Charleston (73.9), Huntington, Morgantown (73.5), Parkersburg (75.4) and Wheeling (74.8). The city with the lowest average daily temperature in January during that time period was Wheeling at 29.6 degrees. The other cities were Charleston (33.4), Huntington (32.1), Morgantown (30.8) and Parkersburg (30.7).

And Charleston is the wettest city, with annual precipitation of 44.05 inches. Wheeling is the driest, at 40.34. Huntington is in the middle of the pack at 41.74.

What I find hard to believe is that Seattle's annual precipitation is only 38.25 inches. I spent a week there one spring, and every day but one it rained or was cloudy. Everyone I saw on the street had an umbrella in one hand and a coffee in the other.