COLUMBIA, S.C. — Summer is our hottest season in the Midlands, that is a given but, our warmest days are getting even hotter thanks to changes in our climate.
A look at the United States from our partners at Climate Central shows significant warming in the Western US that is tied to the Mega-Drought. Here along the East Coast, our summers are warming but to a lesser degree thanks to increased high pressure in the southeastern US.
Locally in Columbia, days with highs above average have increased at a rapid rate with an almost 40 percent increase or 36 days more above our averages which are already in the lower 90s during this time of the year.
That has pulled our overall average temperature up over 3 degrees warmer over the past 50 years in the region.
Even with this warming trend, each year is different. Last year at this time the Midlands recorded temperatures above 100 degrees. This year a different story.
In 2022 a large upper-level ridge known as the Southeast Ridge was set up over the south. This provided the pattern for extreme heat from Texas to the Carolinas.
This year we have a much different picture as this ridge has been displaced far south with low pressure creating overall cooler conditions along the East Coast.
That means that while heat index values are going to be well into the 100s in places like Texas and Louisiana this week, along the East Coast 70s to low 90s will be much more common.