Is it just me or is this year's summer much hotter than last year's summer?

[PS90]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

From a State standpoint, 2015 was hotter than this year. However, this year was hotter than 2016. These are natural variations and little can be read into them, except that temps are warmer here in the mid to late 2010's than perhaps recent decades.

Here is an example:

Tri-Cities, WA (Richland, Pasco, Kennewick) # of 100 degree days:

2015: 22
2016: 5
2017: 11 (but expected triple digits this weekend)

It's the opposite of this in Spokane. According to a post I read the other day (I don't remember the source), 2015 had 31 days above 90 degrees in Spokane. 2017 has had 34 days, and this was posted 3 or 4 days ago, so I'm betting it's up to about 36 or 37 now.

We're supposed to have 19 days above 90.

[Mopac1980]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Globally speaking, reports are that last year was the warmest on record, and quite possibly, this year will top that. I think 2015 was the warmest, until 2016 beat it out. So yes, there's a definite trend.

2016 was IMO nowhere near as hot compared to 2014 and especially 2015, I've thought we've had a nice summer that year.

[Olympian2]

Originally Posted by MarciaMarshaMarcia

it's 69 degrees at 3:00 a.m.

Yeah, the low of 68 degrees was the highest I've ever observed. I was expecting the temperature to reach the upper 90s today, but I was surprised this morning at the strange gray hue of my evergreens.

This smoke acting as insulation would explain why it didn't cool off last night and also why the high temperature was only 77 degrees today.



As for comparisons to 2015, 2015 was hot and there were wildfires in the Olympic NP then, but 2017 has felt a hotter to me.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by orbiter

We had a lot of forest fires this summer. I wonder if anyone noticed that the air was really bad, and the sun appeared like in the pic below on some days.
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

"We" did? It was mostly BC that did, though there were a few in Western WA, as well. Not many, though.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Mopac1980

2016 was IMO nowhere near as hot compared to 2014 and especially 2015, I've thought we've had a nice summer that year.

Maybe not locally, but these are global comparisons.

[PS90]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

"We" did? It was mostly BC that did, though there were a few in Western WA, as well. Not many, though.

Well, since this is the Washington forum, not the Western Washington forum, I'm betting that "we" means Washington state. And yes, we've had quite a few, including major ones near Mazama and Cle Elum.

http://www.khq.com/story/36287495/fi...ho-and-montana

We're better-off than Montana, though.

[orbiter]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

This morning our cars are covered with a layer of ash from the fires. Supposed to be 95 this afternoon, 66 now at 4:30am. Hopefully the rain does return Thursday.

That's unbelievable! I just saw this map.
https://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?act...ity&cityid=258

[orbiter]

Originally Posted by MarciaMarshaMarcia

At the beginning of August, in my area of the Olympic Peninsula, the sun was completely obliterated by smoke from fires...most of it was from the fires in BC. And, it was hot, hot, hot.

Meanwhile, it's 69 degrees at 3:00 a.m., & as an extra aside, fire danger is rated as extremely high in the Olympic NF. That's a first in the time that we have been here.

Tonight our air quality index is graded "5", but it feels more like "7".
https://weather.gc.ca/airquality/aq_...n=flcn20.cwvr#

I have a habit of looking southward for better winds to blow up north in our direction.