Why Is It So Extremely Hot This Summer?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO)  By this weekend, well be at day 13 of 90-plus degree days this summer. Thats the average number of days we normally get all season long. Good Question. Theres never really one reason for these extreme events, Mike Augustyniak said. Weve had this persistent flow from south or southwest where the air is always hot this time of year.  Add in a lot of sun, the most since 1988, and our ongoing drought. Dry ground is always easier to heat than wet ground, Augustyniak said, adding both the weather pattern and climate change are to blame. Augustyniak said climate change has an effect on the jet stream, and our lack of rain. Its still a little hard to draw conclusions between an event like this and climate change directly. We dont have as much data as wed like. We have 50 years of data; wed like to 100 years of data, Augustyniak said. These temperatures are unbelievable even for a meteorologist  That pattern is so insanely out of the norm, its like a 1 in 1,000-year event.  Augustyniak refers to the bell curve. When the average temperature increases even slightly, more extreme heat becomes possible. So when your base temperature starts higher, your heat waves will be more intense, exponentially more intense, he said. In Minnesota, were not averaging more 90-plus days yet, but were seeing them earlier and later in the season. Its been a hot one and were going to start July on a very similar note, Augustyniak said. By mid-century, MOAA predicts well have 15 to 20 more 90-plus days in the Twin Cities. In Western Minnesota, another 35 to 40 scorchers per year. ' Augustyniak said. The state climatology office cant predict what will happen in July and August but hot, early summers tend to be associated with the rest of the summer being above normal.