With recent bipolar weather patterns, especially in the central valley, the summer of 2024 is starting to seem like it will never come. Recently, there has been an increase in heavy precipitation as well as an increase in temperature. These recent climate changes are not only concerning the general public but also stirring up mixed emotions about when warmer temperatures will finally make its entrance. 

Throughout history, climate patterns have changed and shifted. For instance, in the last 800,000 years there have been ice ages as well as the occurrence of more warmer periods. Although these changes are significant, they have occurred very slowly, usually through a couple thousand years. 

Since the year 1850, Earth’s temperature has risen approximately 0.06 degrees celsius or 0.11 degrees fahrenheit. This increase in temperature may seem to be insignificant, however this has increased the rate of warming of the Earth which means that snow cover and heat ice are melting at rapid rates, rainfall is becoming intensified, and plants and animals are being forced to make habitat changes. 

Given this information, summers have made a drastic change from being hot to being almost unbearable. One notable weather change was the Heatwave of July 1936, also known as the Dust Bowl. The Dust bowl brought a hot summer all through the United States but specifically affected the Plains, Upper Midwest, and Great Lake States. Not only were the temperatures high, the death rate due to the heat wave was high as well. There were about five thousand reported deaths as a result of the scorching temperatures. To put in perspective how hot and dry the conditions were, the average temperature in the United States was 108 degrees Fahrenheit. In places such as Iowa the average temperature was 111 degrees Fahrenheit. 

However, the Dust Bowl was not the hottest summer on record, the hottest summer was actually the most recent summer, the summer of 2023. The summer of 2023, more specifically August 2023. This increase in temperature was felt globally with the multiple regions in the northern Hemisphere experiencing heat waves. Other places such as Antarctica, Australia, and multiple South American countries experienced above average temperatures. Additionally, marine air temperatures were well above average temperatures. 

The summer of 2023 was a difficult summer in regards to temperature, but it is predicted that the summer of 2024 will be much warmer especially in the south. NOAA, national weather service meteorologist Anthony Ausa, warns that the El Nino and La Nina are going to be huge factors in the summer’s forecast. 

The term El Nino refers to when the sea surface temperatures are above average, and it usually occurs across the pacific. La Nina refers to the cooling of sea-surface temperatures across the pacific. During a La Nina year, temperatures in the south are warmer than normal in the South and in the North the temperatures are cooler than normal. During an El Nino year, the surface wind levels are weaker than usual and the ocean temperature level in the Pacific are warmer than usual. 

In California, particularly in the central valley region of California, it is predicted that June will have a slighter cooler summer and southern California will experience much hotter temperatures. 

Alas, the recent weather has been all over the place with hotter temperatures one day and then cooler temperatures the next. However, despite this we can hope that weather will start to become consistent as the month of June comes forth. 

I decided to ask a few people about their thoughts on the weather and how this recent climate has impacted their lives. However, they did not wish to be named so I will be referring to them as person 1 and person 2. 

What is your favorite type of weather? 

Person 1: My favorite type of weather is sunny weather because it makes me feel happy and allows me to be able to do all the fun activities I enjoy. 

Person 2: My favorite type of weather is cold weather because I can not stand hot weather. When the temperatures sky rocket up into the 90’s and 100’s I just get in a bad mood overall. 

What are thoughts about the recent weather and all the sudden weather changes? 

Person 1: The recent weather changes have made me feel very annoyed and upset because despite what the weather apps say the weather always ends up being something else. 

Person 2: To be honest, I have not really noticed anything about the weather but I am a little bit annoyed because I can’t ever figure out what to wear.