Summer heat in cities across America is sticking around longer and longer. .
Climate Central recently published the information and it showed that summer is now 21 days longer on average according to a recent study. That means more than a week longer of having to endure intense temperatures. The analysis compared temperature data from 1970 until 2024 across 247 United States cities. When compiled, the data was telling. Summer-like temperatures are stretching longer into autumn in 92% of the cities surveyed.
Several cities ranked high among the list. Baton Rouge ranked among the top 15 of all cities analyzed, with Lafayette, Shreveport, and Lake Charles all joining the ranks as well. LSU Climatologist Barry Keim warns that extra heat will require extra caution. "We are seeing a rise in heat-related deaths. In 2023, when heat was excessively high and humidity was also high, there was a big spike in emergency room visits and mortality rates. So, the future looks rough in terms of trying to stay cool," Keim noted.
Beyond the obvious heat concerns, there could be health effects that are less obvious with sustained summers becoming the norm. Keim cautioned that there are a bevy of health concerns that can arise when shorter winters and longer summers are consistent. "We're getting fewer freezes across the area and that's having health impacts as well. Tropical diseases are potentially becoming a bigger problem as the ecology along the coastal zone changes with these milder temperatures," he added.