Extra hot summer ahead for New Orleans
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Map shows seasonal temperature trends likely during summer 2023 across the U.S. Image: NOAA
Grab an extra snoball because summer in New Orleans could be even more miserable than usual this year.
The big picture: The climate outlook for June through August shows Louisiana and a broad swath of the country are likely to see a hotter-than-average summer, Axios' Andrew Freedman writes.
Why it matters: Heat is the deadliest extreme weather phenomena in the U.S., according to the National Weather Service.
- And summers are becoming deadlier as climate change leads to more intense and frequent heat waves.
Context: Because of human-caused climate change, average summer temperatures are on the rise across much of the U.S.
- The average summer temperature in New Orleans is now 3.5°F hotter than it was in 1970, according to Climate Central, a nonprofit climate research and communications group, using NOAA data.
Between the lines: Summer on the calendar year doesn't officially start until June 21, but New Orleans is already in a typical summer weather pattern — hot and sunny with quick afternoon thunderstorms.
- We hit 91°F already on May 15 and had a heat index of 98°F over the weekend, per the National Weather Service in Slidell.
Of note: Parts of Southeast Louisiana also are in a moderate drought heading into summer, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
- Orleans Parish is considered abnormally dry as of last week, and the drought has reached Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes.
Zoom in: The NOAA outlook shows the highest probability of above-average temperatures is across the southwestern U.S. It's centered over New Mexico and Arizona, where there is a 60% to 70% chance of a warmer-than-average summer.
- The odds are slightly lower, at about 50% to 60%, for warmer-than-average temperatures from Texas to New England.
- Wetter conditions are projected for the mid and lower Mississippi, Ohio Valley and much of the East and Gulf coasts.
Related Axios guide: 5 cool New Orleans pools you can dive into now