2020 Summer Package
KEY CONCEPTS
- Summers are getting hotter. In the past fifty years, 74% (179) of the 242 cities analyzed recorded an extra week or more of days with above-normal temperatures. The top 30 cities with the greatest increases, all recording a month or more of additional days above normal, were concentrated in the southern United States一particularly in the Southeast and Texas.
- 42% of cities (101 of 242) reported an increase in average summer temperatures of more than 2℉ since 1970. Summer low temperatures are increasing more rapidly, with 53% (128) of cities recording increases of more than 2℉.
- Warm summer nights make it difficult for the body to recover from extreme daytime heat, especially in urban areas which cool down less at night. Summer heat can also contribute to stagnant air which traps harmful pollutants and leads to worsening air quality.