I was a kid in Seattle the 1970s. I remember 85 — even in July — being a big deal. When it hit 85 mom and dad would have us sleep outside so that we weren’t uncomfortable in our rooms. I remember how Seattle had never hit 100 degrees, with the record being 99. When the temperate hit 100 degrees for the first time in July 1994, I remember that being a really really big deal.
Now? I feel like 85 is almost the new normal. And 90 is becoming increasingly routine. But is that supported by data?
Well, there’s no question that July is heating up over the past 15 years.
Below is a snapshot of Julys in Seattle over each decade dating back to the 1950s, based on National Weather Service downloadable data for SeaTac airport.
The total number of 90 degree days each decade is accelerating since at least 2010. And the average July high temperate has increased from 75.9 degrees since 1950 to 79.4 degrees since 2010. The chance of hitting 90 degrees in July? It was 4% per July day when I was a kid. In the 2020s it’s nearly 10%.
Is it global warming? A blip? I’m not a scientist and can’t say — I am only reporting the data here. But there’s no question that Julys have been heating up in recent decades. And 85 degrees no longer seems like quite the big deal it used to be when I was a kid.
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