Climate MattersJune 1, 2021

2021 Summer Package

2021 Summer Package

THIS IS NOT THE MOST RECENT VERSION AVAILABLE. LINK TO THE MOST RECENT VERSION.

KEY CONCEPTS

Average Temperature Map - 2021 Summer Package
Average Temperature Map
Days Above Threshold - 2021 Summer Package
Days Above Threshold
Summer Nights/Minimum Temperature - 2021 Summer Package
Summer Nights/Minimum Temperature
Summer Average Temperature - 2021 Summer Package
Summer Average Temperature
Days Above Threshold - 2021 Summer Package
Days Above Threshold
Average Temperature Map - 2021 Summer Package
Average Temperature Map

The first day of meteorological summer (June 1st) is here, and so is our summer package. This year’s installment includes:

Summers are getting hotter thanks to climate change. As heat-trapping greenhouse gases increase the global average temperature, we are experiencing higher average temperatures and more extreme and record-breaking heat events. This is most apparent in the summertime since it's the hottest time of the year. 

A look at the trends: A Climate Central analysis evaluated 51 years of summer temperature data in 246 U.S. locations. Results show an overall warming trend for the summer season, with:

Can humans take the heat? Extreme heat is the deadliest kind of hazardous weather to humans and has many negative consequences to human health:

POTENTIAL LOCAL STORY ANGLES

How is heat affecting public health?
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) tracks health and heat data through its public health tracking network for 25 states and New York City. Summer heat and sun can also cause air stagnation, leading to an accumulation of ground-level ozone. Find out more about climate change and air quality from the American Lung Association, and check out their rankings of cleanest cities.

What work is being done to protect vulnerable populations?
Check out resources like the EPA guidebook for excessive-heat response, stories and projects from ISeeChange, and example strategies from the National Integrated Heat Health Information System.

Check out Solutions Journalism to read what your peers are reporting about heat, nearby and around the world:
Solutions Journalism Network is a non-profit organization that trains and supports journalists to report on how people are responding to the world’s largest social issues through rigorous evidence-based reporting. Use the Solutions Story Tracker to discover the different solutions stories related to heat. 

LOCAL EXPERTS 

The National Weather Service (NWS) operates 122 local weather forecast offices across the country. Check in with the NWS office in your area to find out about any upcoming heat forecasts, heat advisories and excessive heat warnings. Find out what steps are being taken in your locality to beat the heat—ask local officials about your city’s heat response plan, and see if the EPA database on community responses to urban heat islands includes your area.

The SciLine service, 500 Women Scientists or the press offices of local universities may be able to connect you with local scientists who have expertise on carbon emissions in your area. In addition, the American Association of State Climatologists is a professional scientific organization composed of all 50 state climatologists.

NATIONAL EXPERTS 

METHODOLOGY

Summer (June, July, and August) temperature data from 1970-2020 were obtained from the Applied Climate Information System. Displayed trend lines are based on a mathematical linear regression. Climate Central's local analyses include 247 stations. However, for data summaries based on linear trends, only 246 stations are included due to large data gaps in Wheeling, W. Va.