It's true: San Antonio summers are getting hotter
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It's not just your imagination — San Antonio's summers are getting warmer, a recently updated analysis finds.
Why it matters: Hotter summers are one of the most tangible ways we're experiencing climate change — and they're a health risk for vulnerable groups like children, pregnant people, older adults and people who are unhoused.
By the numbers: The average summer temperature in San Antonio has risen 4°F from 1970 to 2024, per the analysis from Climate Central, a climate research group.
- San Antonio has 43 hotter-than-normal summer days compared to 1970.
The big picture: Average summer temperatures between 1970 and 2024 rose in 97% of the 242 cities Climate Central analyzed.
- Among those cities, summers are now 2.6°F hotter on average.
- Over 60% of the cities analyzed now have at least two more weeks' worth of hotter-than-normal summer days compared to 1970.
How it works: The analysis uses National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data and defines "summer" as June through August.
Between the lines: Many cities, including San Antonio, suffer from "heat islands" — areas of especially high temperatures caused by roads, parking lots, buildings and other heat-trapping features.
- Heat islands tend to be more common in low-income neighborhoods and ones with predominantly Black and Latino residents, researchers have found.
What's next: Summer 2025 is likely to be hotter than normal for our neck of Texas, per the National Weather Service's seasonal outlook.