Summer nights are getting warmer in Philly
Why it matters: Higher overnight temperatures can have health consequences for vulnerable groups, as well as increase demand for air conditioning.
That, in turn, can strain electrical grids and increase energy demand, fueling a vicious cycle with more greenhouse gas emissions.
Driving the news: Average summer nighttime temperatures in Philly increased 4.1°F between 1970 and 2024, per a new report from Climate Central, a research and communications group.
Nationwide, average summer temperatures at night increased in 96% of the 241 locations analyzed by Climate Central.
Among cities with an increase, temperatures rose by 3.1°F on average.
Between the lines: Hundreds of U.S. cities are experiencing more frequent warmer-than-average summer nights "with a strong climate change fingerprint," Climate Central says.
That's based on the group's "Climate Shift Index" — a method of measuring climate change's impact on local daily temperatures — and the 1991-2020 climate normals.
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For Eastern US, temperatures swing high, then swing low. They'll soon go back up
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