Northwest Arkansas is getting hotter
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Average summer temperatures increased in Northwest Arkansas by 3.2°F between 1970 and 2022, per a new analysis by the climate research group Climate Central, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Tory Lysik report.
- Average temperatures were 79.8° in 2022, compared to 76.6° in 1970.
Why it matters: Extreme heat is a serious health risk, leading to both immediate acute effects, such as exhaustion and heat stroke, as well as longer-term complications because of reduced air quality.
- A deadly "heat dome" phenomenon was linked to dozens of deaths across the Pacific Northwest and beyond in 2011, lending fresh urgency to the problem of rising city temperatures.
The big picture: Between 1970 and 2022, summer temperatures rose by 2.4° on average across nearly 230 locations in the U.S. — or 95% of the places the group analyzed.
Zoom in: Average temperature increases during that time frame were highest in Reno, Nevada (+11.1°); Boise, Idaho (+5.8°); Las Vegas (+5.8°); Salt Lake City (+5.5°); and El Paso, Texas (+5.3°).
Of note: About half the locations analyzed are now reporting at least two more weeks' worth of summer days with above-normal temperatures compared to 1970.
What's next: Cities nationwide are hiring "chief heat officers" to head up efforts to mitigate urban heat, as Jennifer A. Kingson has reported, including through the use of "smart surfaces" and increasing tree cover (thus shade).
- "Urban heat islands" tend to be more common in low-income neighborhoods, making them a key socioeconomic issue for cities.
The bottom line: "As carbon pollution traps more heat in Earth's atmosphere, the summer season is warming, summer temperatures are arriving earlier in the year, and risky heat extremes are becoming more frequent," per Climate Central.