Is It True We've Had More 90 Degree Days This Summer?

It feels like this summer has been warmer than the average summer here in the Mohawk Valley. It also seems like we've had an abnormally high number of 90 degree days this year, and we're only just coming up on mid-August. There's still plenty of summer left.

So what's the truth?

We looked back through the records at high temperatures over the last 15 years and here's what we found.

So far in this crazy pandemic year of 2020, despite getting off to a pretty cool spring, things really warmed up once we got past the middle of June. The temperature reached at least 90 degrees at Griffiss International Airport 2 times in May, twice in June, 7 times in July and so far once in August for a total of 12 90-degree days. Meanwhile, we'll be in the upper 80's on Thursday, and we still have the rest of August and September to deal with.

So over the last 15 years, has our summer here in 2020 been the hottest? Yes, but there have been some other warm summers.

Last year, we only had two days in the 90's but in 2018, 11 days hit 90 or higher and one of those came in September, which isn't all that uncommon.

Over the last 15 years, we've had at least one day every year that reached 90 or above.

Back in 2012, summer started early with an odd warming trend in March where from the 18th - the 23rd, temperatures were in the 70's and 80's. It didn't last, but it made for an incredible respite from wintertime, at least for about a week. That year we would hit 90 or above 10 times, including a very hot 97 on July 17th. So far this year, our hottest temperature recorded at Griffiss was 94.

So, what was the hottest day recorded here in the last 15 years? It was July 21, 2011 when we hit 99 degrees. That's hot, but what about that 100 degree milestone? The last time we hit 100 degrees here in our area was way back on July 18, 1953. Since then, we've been close several times, but always came up short one or two degrees.

Here's the breakdown:

90 Degree Days by Year 2007-2020

2020 - 12 (so far)

2019 - 2

2018 11 (includes 1 in sept)

2017 1

2016 3

2015 4

2014 1

2013. (2 sept) 6 total

2012. 10 (97 on July 17) March 18-23 Temps in 70’s and 80’s

2011. 5 (99 on July 21)