Will Summer Ever End?

Is summer really over? Meteorologists would say one thing, astronomers another, and Americans will just decide to start making things pumpkin-flavored whenever they please. So who’s to say? And after all the record-breaking this summer, does it really matter? So far, 2024 has proven that climate change is as real as ever and bizarre weather is here to stay.

Buckle up for a ride, Midwesterners

The heat in the Midwest last week was no joke. States including Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, and even some farther East, like Pennsylvania, saw temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Some cities recorded readings in the low 100s. The intense heat came just as children went back to school, and it was so bad in Philadelphia that 63 schools had to dismiss classes early on both Tuesday and Wednesday. In Chicago, sports practices were canceled and other outdoor activities had to be moved inside.

• Looking Ahead: Temperatures in the region will be up and down for the foreseeable future. Through Tuesday, the weather will be much cooler — in the 70s instead of the low 90s. Humidity levels will also be much lower, Paul Pastelok, AccuWeather’s Lead Forecaster, told me. On Wednesday, temperatures will briefly climb back up before going down again on Thursday, when a cold front settles into the region, bringing temperatures 12 degrees below average. More heat is in store as we go into this month, however — a long warm period will start next week and persist through late September, Pastelok explained.

Fall makes another appearance in the Northeast

Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states were under several heat alerts last week, as temperatures rose to around 100 degrees. The U.S. Open tennis tournament, held in New York City, was under an “extreme weather policy,” offering more and longer breaks for players.

• Looking Ahead: Temperatures have already started to go back down and will stay well below average this entire week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s temperature outlook. In other words, the first week of September might actually feel like the first week of fall for those on the East coast. But don’t get too hopeful: Temperatures will likely bounce back up soon, as the new season is predicted to feel like a “second summer” for most of the country.

Texas is not hellish anymore — just very hot

Texas also had its share of back to school chaos last week, which even led to a lawsuit. A video shows children in the Sealy Independent School District pleading with their bus driver to open the windows as temperatures were above 100 degrees, but the driver refuses, saying the kids were sticking their hands out the window; parents are alleging that the children were being unduly punished. The battle to ensure all school buses in the country have air conditioning has been a long one, but state-level legislation on the matter keeps dying due to a lack of funds.

• Looking Ahead: Central and South Texas are still covered by clouds and enjoying some rain, which means temperatures won’t rise much this week, Pastelok told me; other parts of the state will be warmer, but still around the upper 80s. Later in the week, though, the precipitation pattern might move, pushing temperatures a little higher. Readings should stay below 100 degrees this week, though.

Did it just snow in California? In August?

Last Saturday, those exploring in the mountains around Lake Tahoe got a little surprise: a light dusting of snow in late August. While the winter-like cold front had been forecasted for the region — including the possibility of snow — Pastelok told me the event is still unusual for this time of the year. More snow is certainly possible as we go into September, but before that, California will go back to behaving more normally. And by that, I mean being very, very hot.

• Looking Ahead: “Above average temperatures will be the general rule next week,” Pastelok said. In the Central Valleys and lower deserts into southern Nevada, temperatures will average 6 degrees to 10 degrees above average in most places on a daily basis, hitting up to 110 degrees later in the week.

Those elsewhere in the West will get their share of above average temperatures this week. The interior Northwest will start this week hot, with highs around the 90s and running 10 degrees to 14 degrees above average. But Northwesterners, please think twice before you start complaining. It seems like Washington and Oregon are the only states which will see fall weather any time soon.

Finally, looking back: Summer 2024, by the numbers

21,058: That’s the number of daily high temperature records broken this year in the U.S. so far this year.

118: The number of all-time high temperature records broken. While scientists haven’t officially called it yet, it seems like 2024 will dethrone last year as the hottest summer on record.

428: number of wildfire incidents in California this summer.

429,603: the number of acres burned by the Park Fire in California. The fire is now 98% contained and could become the third largest wildfire in American history.

62.87: the planet’s average temperature on July 22, 2024, the Earth’s hottest day on record.

130: the highest temperature recorded in the country this summer, in the Death Valley.

160,000,000: the highest number of Americans under excessive heat warnings on the same day. It happened on July 9.