August 02, 2024
Jon Tuleya/PhillyVoice
A man waters the landscaping at Dilworth Park in Center City during a heat wave earlier this summer. In June and July, there were 23 days with temperatures in the 90s.
July ended a lot like it began — with a looming heat wave.
Temperatures hovered just below 100 degrees at the Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday afternoon and the forecast over the next few days doesn't offer much relief from the sweltering conditions.
MORE: Traces of snow observed at Philadelphia airport amid heat wave
It may seem like we've been under a heat advisory since Memorial Day, but has this summer been any hotter than recent years or is this just the norm now as climate change continues to warm the planet?
Here's a look at four numbers that compare this summer's heat (and lack of rain) with data of the last 20 years from the National Weather Service.
The last day to have an average temperature below 75 degrees was July 1. Considering just nine days in July 2000 reached that average, this year's streak seems like an abnormally long run of hot days. But this type of stretch has become normal now. In four of the past five Julys, at least 30 of the 31 days in the month had an average temperature of 75 or higher.
During a 12-day stretch in mid-July, there were eight days that hit 95 degrees. That's an unusual string of super hot days, but this summer has been somewhat average when it comes to total number of 90-degree days. Since 2004, a quarter of the years had more 90-degree days in June and July than 2024's mark of 23.
June 1 was the last day it was below 60 degrees here. While it's become typical that July doesn't reach those minimum temperatures, this year's steadily warm June was rare. Over the past 20 years, every June except this year had at least three days that sank below 60 degrees.
It hasn't just been hot, it's been very dry, too. Only two Julys over the last two decades had less rainfall totals than last month. There was 10 straight days without significant rainfall to start the month, and the grass in the region severely suffered.
