Looking Back at Summer

White capped mountains signal that fall is finally here

Meteorological summer ended earlier this month.  Astronomical summer ended on Friday.  Although temperatures will rebound some this week, summer is finally over.  Good riddance.  Don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out.

The climate numbers for summer (June–August) were released last week by the National Centers for Environmental Information.  You already know that this summer was the 2nd hottest on record at the Salt Lake City airport, but how did things go statewide?

Well, it was a hot summer by old-timers standards, but not for the young.  With a statewide average temperature of 71.6ºF, this summer was tied for only the 5th warmest on record.  However, the four ahead of this year, as well as the other years tied with it, have all occurred since 1994.  

Source: NCEI

So, compared to the climate of the latter 19th century and most of the 20th century, this was a very hot summer statewide.  Compared to the climate since 1990, it was hot, but not exceptionally so.

Globally, Boreal summer (June–August, summer in the northern hemisphere) was the hottest on record, although from a statistical perspective, it's probably in a dead heat with last summer.

Source: NCEI

For the year to date, however, 2016 is easily the front runner.  It's a near virtual lock for hottest year on record unless something truly surprising or catastrophic happens in the last 4 months of the year.  

Source: NCEI

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