By John Roach, AccuWeather staff writer
Polar bear Nanook takes a bath during an extreme hot summer Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at the zoo in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Germany faces another heat wave with temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Paris and other European cities may be experiencing record-high temperatures during a summer heat wave, but many American cities, excluding some in the Southeast, are enjoying uncharacteristically cool air.
The Southeast’s stifling heat and humidity was finally broken earlier in the week as an unusually strong cold front by late July standards pushed through much of the Southern states and triggered severe weather on Tuesday.
Much of the rest of the country has had lower temperatures as cities are threatening record lows from the early 1900s.
"Some cities in the Southern states that may challenge record lows include Little Rock, Arkansas, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Houston, San Antonio and Nashville, Tennessee," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
The unusually cool air brings a break from the summer heat – and also energy savings for many Americans.
Estimated costs for cooling from May 1 through July 24 compared to the same period last cooling season are lower in numerous cities in the United States, according to an AccuWeather analysis.
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Among the U.S. cities that have seen pronounced savings, with estimated cooling costs compared to last year decreasing dramatically, include Los Angeles (50.6%), Seattle (38.2%), Topeka, Kansas (36.1%), Portland, Oregon (34.4%), Chicago (29.1%), Oklahoma City (28.8%) and Indianapolis (27.7%).
"You have pockets in the Midwest that are very cool," said AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel N. Myers. "Look at Oklahoma City, where it's much cooler than normal and last year."
Other cities with significant estimated savings on cooling costs are Dallas-Fort Worth (25.9%), St. Louis (25%), Detroit (22.1%), Salt Lake City, Utah (21.6%), and Cincinnati (20.5%).
Some relatively close cities are encountering different situations. New York City's estimated cooling costs are down 8.5%, but Philadelphia, just 94 miles away, has its estimated cooling costs up 8.1%. "There’s a big difference between Philadelphia and New York," Myers said. "That’s the dividing line with some of the cool air from the North Atlantic getting into New York and not penetrating down to Philadelphia."
Many places in Florida, which experienced unusually high temperatures for parts of June and July, also have higher estimated cooling costs. Miami’s costs are up an estimated 15.3%, Gainesville is up 11.7%, and Key West is 7.9%.
It’s still early in the cooling season, which typically begins May 1 and 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
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