When to Expect the First 90-Degree Day of the Year in Your Area

Many communities in the southern U.S. have already seen the mercury top 90 degrees this year. Several areas notched the first 90-degree reading of the year well earlier than usual. What do the averages say about when you should expect to see this threshold in your neck of the woods? Read on for all of the details.

90-Degree Weather Already Entrenched Over Much of the U.S.

This is the time of the transitional spring season when some parts of the country are still picking up snow in the higher terrains while other areas are running for the air conditioning. A few select areas have already recorded their first triple-digit reading of the year.

For instance, Oklahoma City saw high temperatures reach the 90-degree level earlier in the month. It has already been well into the 90s in places such as Dallas. The Texas town of Vernon has also already hit the century mark this season, signaling that it could be a scorcher of a summer ahead.

The southern tier of the U.S. is not the only area that has seen temperatures hover in the 90s this early in the year. Goodland, Kansas, and Pueblo, Colorado, have both already seen readings of this magnitude. Several communities in the mid-Atlantic have also reached this benchmark.

Although Phoenix is no stranger to the heat, the Valley of the Sun broke a number of record high temperatures in April. Temperatures have been trending about 15 to 20 degrees above the norm for much of the spring season. For example, Phoenix set a record high reading of 103 degrees on April 11, well ahead of the normal date for heat of this magnitude.

You have to go back to March to find the first 90-degree days of the year in major Texas cities such as Houston and Austin. The town of Del Rio saw this reading all the way back on February 8.

When the Rest of the U.S. Generally Sees 90-Degree Weather

But what about the rest of the country? When can you expect the first 90-degree day of the year? The Northeast generally does not see this pattern until late May or early June. This includes the populated urban centers in Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City.

Washington, D.C. tends to see the 90s much earlier than its counterparts to the north. The earliest 90-degree day in recorded history for the nation's capital happened on March 22, 1907.

There are also times when some parts of the Northeast do not see the mercury reach 90 degrees for the entire year. For instance, Buffalo did not record a temperature of this degree in all of 2014.

Moving into the Midwest, cities such as Detroit, Indianapolis, and Chicago generally see the first 90-degree day in early to mid-June. Higher humidity levels and more intense sunshine to the south mean that places such as St. Louis typically observe the 90s by the end of May.

Looking at some of the records for the earliest date in history to see this benchmark, Kansas City saw the heat as early as March 21. The same is true for neighboring St. Louis.

On the flip side, Chicago had to wait until September to see the readings in the 90s in 1915. Like Buffalo, Indianapolis once went an entire summer without seeing the mercury break out of the 80s.

Not surprisingly, the Deep South and Florida see some of the earliest 90-degree days throughout the country. For example, Miami generally observes this reading in early April. What may be a shock to some people is that Atlanta does not generally see this level of heat until early June.

Moving out to the western U.S., the Southwest and the desert terrain of Southern California can see these readings as early as January and February. However, the average typically happens in late March or early April.

Areas to the north usually need to wait until early June to sniff the 90s. This average timeline includes Denver and Salt Lake City, areas that remain cooler because of the higher elevations.

When looking at the earliest 90-degree days, Denver has seen this benchmark as early as mid-April. On rare occasions, Seattle will experience the 90s in May, however, late June or early July is the norm for the Emerald City.

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