Confusing signs of summer in places where it's been unseasonably hot

By John Roach, AccuWeather staff writer

People enjoy the day playing with water as the Empire State Building is seen from Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

When most Americans think of Anchorage, Alaska, of course, they think of record-setting heat.

Or not.

But during a summer that has caused several places to set record-high temperatures, Alaska is the epicenter of heat. July 2019 was the hottest month on record for the state. Anchorage is averaging a whopping 4.8 degrees above the daily normal temperature since May 1.

Anchorage isn’t alone, as a number of United States cities are experiencing higher-than-normal summer temperatures. As a result, estimated costs for cooling from May 1 through Aug. 7 compared to normal cooling costs are higher in a number of cities, according to an AccuWeather analysis.

Boston (34.9% higher), Norfolk, Virginia (31.5%), Atlanta (25.8%) and Washington, D.C. (25.4%), have endured significantly higher estimated cooling costs compared to normal.

Others with elevated estimated costs include Gainesville, Florida (23.5%), Philadelphia (22.3%), Cincinnati (20.6%) and Indianapolis (17.3%).

Among the small handful of cities that have had uncharacteristically lower estimated cooling costs since May 1 are Oklahoma City (15.3% lower) and Little Rock, Arkansas (8.1%).

As for Anchorage, the city is experiencing such a warm anomaly that a percentage showing the difference can’t be calculated. Here’s why: A cooling degree day is a measurement designed to quantify the demand for energy needed to cool buildings. Anchorage’s normal number of cooling degree days from May 1 to Aug. 7 is zero; however, this year since May 1 the city has totaled 80 cooling degree days. To calculate the percentage of how much higher the estimated cooling costs would be, one would divide the difference by the normal. But 80 divided by zero is undefined. Things are so off the charts that Anchorage broke math.

For many cities, there won’t be any short-term relief from the high temperatures. AccuWeather meteorologists forecast widespread 100-degree high temperatures across Texas, Oklahoma and southern Kansas, with AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures peaking at 105-110 degrees in these regions through Monday.

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.

Weather Outside Your Window

Friday, August 9, 2019