Report: Montgomery has seen 3rd-highest increase in extremely hot days
That’s out of 241 U.S. locations analyzed by Climate Central
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - We know it gets hot here in Alabama. That is certainly no secret. What may be surprising is where Montgomery ranks in a new report and analysis from Climate Central about changes in extremely hot days.
By definition, an extremely hot day in Montgomery is a day above 95 degrees. Each city analyzed has a different threshold for “extreme heat” based on its climate and typical day-to-day weather.
For example, an extremely hot day in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a day with a temperature above 90 degrees. In Las Vegas, Nevada, an extremely hot day is considered a day above 105 degrees.
The analysis looks at changes in the number of yearly extremely hot days from 1970 to last year. Over that period of just over 50 years, Montgomery has seen a very noticeable increase in days above 95 degrees.
The Capital City sees 31 more extremely hot days, on average, per year now than it did back in 1970. That 31-day increase is good for 3rd-most of all U.S. cities analyzed in the report.
Only Austin (47 more days) and San Angelo (39 more days) in Texas have seen a larger increase in the number of annual extremely hot days. The only other city even remotely close to Montgomery’s number is Huntsville.
The Rocket City is averaging 21 more extremely hot days per year than it did back in 1970. Birmingham is seeing 10 additional extremely hot days compared to 50 years ago. The other Alabama cities analyzed -- Anniston, Dothan, Mobile, Tuscaloosa -- haven’t seen as much change in extremely hot days.
It isn’t just the afternoon temperatures that are soaring in Central Alabama. The nighttime temperatures have also gone up over the last five decades. A different Climate Central report looks at how summer nights have changed since 1970.
The average summertime minimum temperatures in Montgomery have risen by 2.2 degrees over the last 50+ years. The average when you look at all 230 U.S. locations analyzed is about 3 degrees.
Nights have definitely warmed in Montgomery, but not as noticeably as the afternoons. Compared to the other Alabama cities analyzed, Montgomery is right in the middle of the pack. Birmingham and Huntsville have seen the biggest jumps in overnight low temperature since 1970.
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