It was so hot on the July 4th weekend that I thought I was living down South. I am writing from the Washington D.C. suburbs, where it was close to 100°. The temperature records were:
Friday, July 3: High around 99°F, low around 81°F
Saturday, July 4: High around 99°F, low around 82°F (record-breaking heat caused cancellations and disruptions in Independence Day celebrations).
Sunday, July 5: High around 93°F, low around 77°F
And the DC area wasn’t the only one sweltering. There was a heat wave in most of the United States during this year’s Independence Day Weekend, causing dangerous situations for thousands of individuals. In fact, there were areas that experienced heat indexes between 110 and 115 degrees in at least 24 different states, putting the lives of over 150-200 million people at severe risk of serious heat-related illnesses.
Scientists predict that extreme heat episodes like the one experienced during this Independence Day weekend will occur at a greater frequency and intensity as the effects of long-term global warming intensify. With these types of extreme heat events potentially becoming more common for future large outdoor public events (parades, fairs, etc.) in addition to the potential for serious illnesses resulting from prolonged exposure to excessive heat, cities will need to develop new emergency preparedness plans and enhance existing infrastructure (cooling centers, public health signs, and grid reliability) to mitigate the risks associated with extreme heat.
But isn’t the fact that the DC area had record or near-record cold in late January/early February evidence that global warming is a hoax?
No.
There is an important distinction between weather and climate regarding global temperature trends. Weather refers to temporary or day-to-day conditions in a given area (the weather in New York City). Climate relates to broader-scale patterns over longer periods of time (global temperature).
Think of the record lows like investing in successful stocks. Even though your investments earn you money for years, there can be times that your value drops. In a similar manner, record lows still occur, but they have been far outpaced by record high temperatures since the 1970s.
In fact, the past decade has been the warmest on record. As a result, while record-breaking cold snaps will likely still occur, they are less likely compared to record-breaking heat waves.
