Philadelphia summers are getting hotter
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Philly’s summers are getting hotter.
Why it matters: Heat is felt unevenly throughout the city, with average surface temps as much as 22 degrees Fahrenheit higher in neighborhoods with less tree shade, per a 2019 city report.
State of play: Philly’s average summer temps rose 4.2 degrees last year compared to 1970, per a new analysis by climate research group Climate Central.
- Average temperatures were 79.3 degrees in 2022, compared to 75.1 in 1970.
- Philly’s 2022 average temps during the summer were the second highest since 1970.
The big picture: Between 1970 and 2022, summer temperatures rose by 2.4°F on average across nearly 230 locations — 95% of the locations the group analyzed.
Zoom out: Average temperature increases from 1970 to 2022 were highest in Reno, Nevada (+11.1°F); Boise, Idaho (+5.8°F); Las Vegas (+5.8°F); Salt Lake City (+5.5°F); and El Paso, Texas (+5.3°F).
- Of note: Approximately half of the locations analyzed are now reporting at least two more weeks' worth of summer days with above-normal temperatures compared to 1970.
Zoom in: Philly’s low-income neighborhoods tend to be hotter due to low tree canopy, fewer green spaces and a legacy of redlining.
- Some of Philly’s warmest neighborhoods include Cobbs Creek, Hunting Park and Strawberry Mansion.
Be smart: Extreme heat is a serious health risk for people and pets while causing disruptions to utilities and severe storms.
What's next: Other cities, but not Philly, are hiring "chief heat officers" to head up efforts to mitigate urban heat, per Axios’ Jennifer A. Kingson.
- One method replaces hot, dark surfaces — like streets, rooftops, playgrounds and parking lots — with cooler alternatives, known as “smart surfaces.”
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.