Weather and Climate News

Longer Heat Streaks Across the U.S.

We're in the final weeks of meteorological summer, usually a time when heat has worn out its welcome. Fortunately, for many in the Plains, Midwest, and the East, this August is providing a break from the sweltering heat. But over the long term, as the planet continues to warm from the increase in greenhouse gases, extended streaks of heat are

July Was Record Hot for Parts of Alaska and the West

The northernmost city in the United States just had its hottest July on record, as other spots in Alaska had their hottest month overall. Heat records also fell in a few western cities, as well as the fearsomely hot Death Valley, where July was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. Those hotspots stood out in what was the 10th hottest July on

‘Lucifer’ Bakes Europe in Intense Heat Wave

A heat wave that has claimed at least two lives triggered extreme heat warnings across southern and central Europe on Friday, as temperatures soared above 104°F (40°C). The temperature was so extreme in parts of Italy on Friday that even as the sun began to set on the region, heat remained above 100°F, AccuWeather European forecaster Tyler Roys

Future Days Above 95°F

The number of these very hot days is expected to increase sharply as the world further warms from the buildup of greenhouse gases. What may initially appear to be a small increase in the average temperature has a large impact on these extremes. As an entire distribution of daily high temperatures shifts slightly warmer, those rare days with extreme

Near-Record Heat in Store for Pacific Northwest

Another summer week, another spot in the U.S. is sweltering. In June it was the Southwest, with planes unable to take off in Phoenix; then it was Miami, which just had its hottest month on record; now, it’s the Pacific Northwest’s turn. A high-pressure system will send temperatures in Oregon and Washington to rare heights. Seattle could see only it

Miami Just Had Its Hottest Month on Record

Summers in Miami are always hot and humid, but this summer has been one for the record books. July was the hottest month ever recorded for the city, with temperature archives going back to 1896, and capped off what has been the hottest year-to-date. Every day except July 31 saw a high temperature at or above 90°F (32°C), and nighttime low

Wildfire Season Is Scorching the West

The West is ablaze as the summer wildfire season has gotten off to an intense start. More than 37,000 fires have burned more than 5.2 million acres nationally since the beginning of the year, with 47 large fires burning across nine states as of Friday. The relatively early activity is quickly becoming the norm, with rising temperatures making the

Nights Are Getting Warmer Across the U.S.

While increasing extreme daytime heat is one of the clearest signs of a warming climate, low temperatures have also been increasing. In many cases, nighttime low temperatures are increasing more rapidly than daytime high temperatures. Take the first half of 2017, the second hottest start to the year on record for the U.S. From January-June, the

Monsoon Breaks Scorching Phoenix Heat

Even by the standards of the desert Southwest, the past several weeks there have been scorching. Phoenix had its third hottest June on record, with an average high temperature of 107.9°F (42.2°C), less than a degree below the top spot (108.6°F in 1974). There were 11 consecutive days at or above 110°F during the month, and only four days were

The West Is on Fire As Heat Records Fall

From Phoenix to Boise, high temperature records fell like dominoes over the weekend as an impressive heat wave engulfed the western U.S., helping to fuel several wildfires. While heat waves are a regular part of summer weather, the steady warming of the planet means those heat waves are getting ever hotter, making record heat more and more likely

This is how hot the United States could be in the future

Days Above 100°F: Projections

Average summer temperature have risen a few degrees across the West and Southern Plains, leading to more days above 100°F in Austin, Dallas and El Paso all the way up to Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, and Boise. It’s worth noting that this trend has been recorded across the entire Northern Hemisphere, as show in this WXshift animation.

Small Change in Average, Big Change in Extremes

To understand what’s happening with extreme heat, we need to get a little geeky and take you back to Stats class. The classic bell curve represents the distribution of all temperatures at a location. The bulk of temperatures — those close to average — sit near the middle of the curve. Record temperatures, which are rare,