Northern climate most affected by the heat wave (snow, hottest, warm)

[lpfan921]

It seems like this heat wave is bringing long stretches of 100+ weather to places that typically do not get extreme heat for more than a handful of days a year. Any nomination for a 4-season climate that is feeling the strongest effects of the heat wave? It seems to be hitting the Midwest hardest... St Louis, Chicago, etc...

[Patricius Maximus]

Probably Chicago. A while back they had more 90F days in the year to date than many southern locations.

[nei]

Not Massachusetts

[nei]

So far this month Chicago averaged 86°F.

Westfield, MA at the same latitude averaged 75.5°F (and that's typically the hottest station in Massachusetts, a closer station to me averaged 73°F).

[Icy Tea]

The upper midwest is known for getting some real hot spells, moreso than the norhwest or the northeast.
Its been hot here in the northeast but not record setting. Our June average for the county averaged 81 degrees, a half degree above normal. It is beginning to get dry, though.

[Kaul]

Chicago is actually not hot for its latitude. The 86F average is about right for this time of the year. Beijing at roughly the same latitude has summers that are just equally hot. Overall, Europe (eastern) and Eastern Siberia (the pole of cold) at such high northern latitudes are more affected by heat waves than anywhere else in the world . As shown in this map, Eastern Europe and Siberia currently have some the hottest spots in the northern hemisphere, making the heat wave in North America seems petty, insignificant, and not worth mentioning.

[susancruzs]

Chicago gets heat waves, no doubt about it. I don't think this stretch is record setting for them. Where I am it is an adjustment issue for people when the high 80's, 90's hit. Our average high in summer is mid-70's, these high 80's/90's are very unusual. Two Rivers is sort of a micro climate being out in the lake several miles. I've had my AC on 24/7 for over a week, some summers I never use it.

Green Bay is always warmer than we are but since records began (late 1800s) GB has had triple digits 17 times (and that includes the dust bowl years)! GB is NW of me but warmer due to location, sort of inland and maybe the bay.

[RWood]

Chicago is certainly setting some local records.

Chicago Weather Center

[nei]

Seems like the death toll is low if any, compared to the 1995 heat wave.

Lower humidity?

[Patricius Maximus]

If the death toll is lower (which it looks like it is, very much so), I think it might be due to improved procedures in 2012 versus 1995. I wish I could say the same for their Lakeshore Drive fiasco or NYC's snow-plowing, but that's another issue (not to mention it has nothing to do with a heat wave).