This, or January?

The heat wave seems to be broiling every last bit of good nature out of most people, and the National Weather Service's computer models indicate more of the same ahead.

We'll catch a break for a few days -- Monday and Tuesday, to be specific -- when a cold front (well, sort of a cold front) crosses the Charlotte region. Thunderstorm chances will be fairly high Monday, and most areas probably will get some rain.

But the strong high pressure system that seemingly has been anchored over the lower Midwest for many weeks will strengthen again at midweek, and its impact will be felt again in our area. That means high temperatures will be back in the upper 90s by late next week.

I saw a poll Sunday morning on CBS-TV, in which people were asked if they would trade July heat for January's weather. If I saw it correctly, 59 percent said they'd prefer July. Another 39 percent wanted January. I don't know what the other 2 percent asked for -- maybe an end to the NFL lockout.

So I went back six months, exactly a half-year, to Jan. 24 and checked on Charlotte's weather. The high that day was in the mid 40s, and lows were in the lower 20s. That was six to eight degrees below average for late January, just as our recent temperatures have been six to eight degrees above average.

So which do you want -- mid-winter or mid-summer?

Our heating and cooling bills are equally outrageous. In the winter, you can dress in layers. That option is limited in summer. But you won't find 4 inches of snow and ice making the roads treacherous in July.

I always said I prefer the heat, and even the last few days hasn't changed that, although I'm ready to scale back the temperatures a few degrees. I think I understand where the 59 percent in that CBS poll were coming from.