Summer Comes in with a Bang Setting Heat Records

By Alexandra Kasdin

Summer came in with a bang on Wednesday as 90-degree temperatures across the Northeast set records for heat in many areas.

According to the Associated Press, the scorching hot first day of summer was also the date for countless high school graduations throughout the Northeast. Ambulances stood at the ready at outdoor graduations from New Jersey to Connecticut, prepared to treat onlookers and graduates alike for heat exhaustion.

Credit: flickr/afagen

Predictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) noted that thermometers in all states in the Lower 48, besides North Dakota, will also stay above the 90°F mark Thursday and Friday.

Climate studies show that, likely in part because of global warming, there are now many more record highs being set in the U.S. each year compared to record lows. In 2011, the ratio was about three warm temperature records to every cold temperature record.

To track record temperatures in your region, take a look at our Record Temperature Tracker.

You can also see how much your state has warmed over the past 100 years by looking at our “Heat Is On” Interactive map.

Records were set at all three airports in the New York metropolitan area. It was 98°F at both LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, surpassing the previous marks set in 1953. It was also 94°F at JFK International Airport, which topped the previous record of 93°F set in 1995.

The Associated Press also reported that New York City was under a hot-weather advisory and was opening more than 450 cooling centers.