Hang on, the dog days of summer come at a cost

By John Roach, AccuWeather staff writer

Summertime and the livin' is easy, though a little more costly. (AP Photo/Ivan Pierre Aguirre, File)

The dog days of summer are howling now as the heat and humidity that much of the southeastern United States experienced in June and earlier July are hitting other areas of the country. And with the higher temperatures come escalating costs to beat the heat.

Estimated costs for cooling from May 1 through July 30 compared to normal cooling costs are higher in a number of U.S. cities, according to an AccuWeather analysis.

Boston (31.6% higher), Atlanta (25.6%), Gainesville (24%) and Washington, D.C., (23.9%) have seen substantially higher estimated cooling costs compared to normal.

Others with elevated estimated costs include Philadelphia (19.9%), Cincinnati (19.1%), Birmingham (17.2%), Raleigh-Durham (16.9%) and Charleston, S.C. (16.4%).

There could be relief in the short term, with a cool front and then rain expected across the Appalachians and into the East Thursday and into the weekend, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. In the Ohio Valley and Midwest, humidity levels should drop off over the next few days.

There are a handful of exceptions where cities are experiencing lower-than-normal temperatures so far this year.

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Coming off a hot 2018, Dallas-Fort Worth has estimated cooling costs 26.4% lower than this time last year, though they are just 5.1% lower than normal. And Oklahoma City is down 27.7% from its estimated 2018 costs and 18.6% lower than normal.

“You have pockets in the Midwest that are very cool,” said AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel N. Myers.

The cooling season, which typically begins May 1, can last until late in the year in many U.S. cities. The costs of cooling, including electricity, vary from year to year and from place to place, so the percentage change in your bill may vary from these percentages.

Download the free AccuWeather app to see the forecast for your location. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.