Weather to Expect this Summer- Catherine Luzzi

A lot of the days last summer were spent inside with the AC on, fearing walking outside to the splittering heat. Last June through August was hot, very hot. Here in some areas of New Jersey, 90* was continually reached for multiple days. The United States had its third warmest summer ever on record, averaging 73.9* F.  In over 100 cities, the average temperature was in the highest top ten recorded. The state of New Jersey recorded last summer one of the top 5 recorded (since 1895). This made even the minorist outdoor activities a struggle, like walking your dog could manage to produce a sweat. These rise in temperatures not only affect the ability to be comfortable with the temperature, but also have other serious consequences, like increased fire risk, and dehydration of vegetation. These increases in temperatures can be attributed to climate change.  The national average temperature jumped 2.5*F from the typical recording (averaged from 1901 to 2000).  So, with all these hot temperatures last year, what can be expected for this summer? Warmer than average or average temperatures will be the case for the majority of the country. More specifically in June, the northeast is predicted to have slightly warmer temperatures. However in July it’s predicted to be about average. Finally in August the temperatures are set to rise again across most of the country, leading to above average temperature in New Jersey. So, this summer should be a little bit of a relief compared to last, but you never know for sure what mother nature will bring. In any case, prepare many trips to the ocean to escape the summer sun.