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max temps between 18-22C and abundant sunshine during june, july and august. there should also be at least 1-2 weeks with real warm weather and max temps of around 25C, with 2-3 days even being close to 30C. that would be a good summer by my standards. this summer fulfilled all criterias but the 30C-days.
To me, the most important thing to define a "summer feeling" is that highs should never dropping under 20°C during the whole summer, and lows absolutely never below 10°C. I don't feel like summer when 30°C days are followed by 18°C days.
The second factor is the type of weather: it must be settled.
Minimum: highs >25°C and relatively settled weather for 3 months. Full summer feeling: highs >28°C, lows >18°C, sunshine every day and occasional convective thunderstorms only.
that's better than what other people have said but. I would say one month must have an average high AT LEAST 30c and 3 consecutive months having highs exceeding average highs of at least 27c.
By our local standards summer is defined with a temperature of at least 27C/80F. Chicago gets 89 days when temperatures meet or exceed these qualifications. This year to date we have had only 79 days thanks to an extended very cool period at the end of July. Looks like we will get at least 2 or 3 more this coming week, but that might be it for the year.... On the other hand by this date last year we had 102 days at or above 27C/80F.
Personally real summer to me is 30C/86F+. Unfortunately we only get 45 days like that annually. Way too short. I'd prefer 60-75 days to get my fill of summer.
For me, it really depends on the weather more than the temperatures. Anything that brings sunny weather with low humidity sucks imo, as that's what brings that chilly feeling that leads to evening temperatures dropping rapidly. Weather that has higher humidity, whether it's sunny or cloudy rocks, as there isn't the diurnal range.
I've spent summers in places much hotter than here and never got a sense of it feeling more summery.
I'd say 75F is the minimum, maybe 70F if it's very sunny with calm winds.
But summer really gets going when these are the low temperatures.
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