A global rise in ocean temperatures makes for longer summers nationwide—including in several Chester County towns, in write Kasha Patel and Naema Ahmed for The Washington Post.
Recent data collected by climatologist Brian Brettschneider studied the change in summer temperatures over the course of several decades. The study analyzed the hottest ninety days of the year from 1965 to 1994, and then compared these temperatures with their frequency from 1995 to 2024.
The data revealed that hot temperatures now begin earlier and end later, making for longer summers nationwide.
As for Chester County, towns and boroughs see a longer summer compared to thirty years ago. In both Downingtown and Malvern, summer is sixteen days longer than three decades ago. West Chester summers are eleven days longer than the 1964-1994 range, with 101 days above 69 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beyond Pennsylvania, cities experiencing the greatest increase in summer length include San Francisco (with forty-two more days), Miami, and McAllen, Texas.
Climate and environmental scientists across the globe agree that this comes from rising greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Higher emissions and subsequently higher ocean temperatures have made global temperatures from the last decade the hottest on record.
With higher ocean temperatures, regions along the coast see the greatest increase in summer length. Cities also see a longer summer than more rural areas.
While hotter weather has serious effects on environmental and citizen health, understanding this change—and how it presents in your area—is the first step in achieving a solution to what is a worldwide trend.
Read more about trends of longer summers across the globe in The Washington Post.
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