Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 5:23AM |  12°
MENU
Advertisement
Eric Cardwell, the Athletic trainer for North Hills High School and Allegheny Health Network hides from the sun by sitting under a beach umbrella with a fan by his side during the 7 on 7 passing high school football camp at North Hills in Martorelli Stadium in Pittsburgh on June 21, 2024.
7
MORE

Expect heat waves in Pittsburgh to become more common, experts say

Esteban Marenco/Post-Gazette

Expect heat waves in Pittsburgh to become more common, experts say

Everyone has felt the heat this week as temperatures have risen into the 90s, with a real feel of 110 expected for some areas.

Climate experts say these kinds of extreme weather events are here to stay, due in part to increased greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere that trap heat more effectively.

This stretch of severe heat is the first in the region in 30 years, said Lee Hendricks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Pittsburgh.

Advertisement

A similar stretch of weather occurred between July 4 and 18, 1988, which saw two days above 100 degrees, and records were set during a heat wave that began on June 13, 1994, which saw three 97-degree days.

This image provided by Sioux County Sheriff shows City of Rock Valley, Iowa on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Ed White and John Hanna
Flooding forces people from homes in some parts of Iowa while much of U.S. toils again in heat
Image DescriptionCLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

But scientists are finding that recent years are unveiling abnormal metrics that indicate the planet is out of balance.

“Greenhouse gasses are way up, and that’s partly what’s driving hotter and wetter summers here,” said Mark Abbott, a professor in the Department of Geology and Environmental Science and at the Climate and Global Change Center at the University of Pittsburgh.

Records indicate that the globe has hovered around 180 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for millions of years, said Mr. Abbott. As of last month, that number reached 427 ppm, according to data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.

Advertisement

The same trend applies to atmospheric methane, a strong greenhouse gas emitted from coal and natural gas production, the agricultural industry and waste management. Methane concentrations have more than doubled since the pre-industrial period; the ppm is currently at an all-time high of 1929, per NOAA monitoring.

“Clearly, there’s a link, and clearly, we’re not doing enough about it,” said Mr. Abbott.

Low-income communities and people of color are more likely to be disproportionately impacted by severe weather events such as heat waves, flooding and drought, as evidence by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Lahaina, Hawaii, fire in 2023.

Mr. Hendricks said that local farmers are also feeling the burden of lower-than-average precipitation and higher-than-average heat.

The Homewood Healthy Active Living Center is one of six used as cooling centers in Pittsburgh this week. All six are to remain open through Saturday.
Elena Eisenstadt
Pittsburgh cooling centers to remain open through Saturday as high temps continue

“The farming community is probably going to be the most impacted by heat waves,” he said. “We get these abnormal temperatures, and it starts drying out crops.”

This could lead to a decrease in crop yields, he said — and for consumers, that would be reflected as an increase in price.

“Basically things go downhill from there.”

As of Wednesday, Mr. Hendricks said Pittsburgh is 1.5 inches below normal for monthly precipitation.

“We have had patchy, heavy rains, but that doesn’t get absorbed into the ground; it becomes runoff,” he explained. “Heavy rain doesn’t do anybody any good.”

While there are multiple elements that contribute to temperature fluctuation — the El Niño and La Niña cycles, volcanic eruptions, glacial movement — human activity is a clear contributor to the warmer seasons we’ve been seeing, experts say. Last summer, for one, was the hottest summer on record, with this summer poised to beat it by some estimates.

“Greenhouse gasses are trapping hot air, and you end up with more energy in the system,” said Mr. Abbott. “It’s likely that we’ll see more [weather] variability that over the years will become more intense.”

Places that experience monsoons could be targets for more extreme storms and their aftermath, with 85% likelihood of a La Niña pattern establishing itself and influencing storm activity during the 2024 tropical storm season. NOAA has predicted 17 to 25 Atlantic storms, with eight to 13 becoming hurricanes and four to seven becoming major hurricanes for the season. And with Tropical Storm Alberto already having touched down in the Gulf of Mexico, Mr. Hendricks said the season is starting early and may well loom longer.

Over millions of years within the Earth’s long life, carbon dioxide levels, global temperature and sea levels have fluctuated wildly — but the pace of change during the human era, and industrial period more specifically, has hit overdrive, research consistently shows.

“The whole idea that cycles are driving this is partly true, it’s just that we’re way out of bounds” of those natural cycles, said Mr. Abbott. “And that’s clearly due to the burning of fossil fuels. That science is pretty settled at this point.”

Mr. Hendricks said temperatures are expected to ease going into the weekend, with Sunday forecast to be in the upper 80s, Monday in the lower 80s, and Tuesday back up to the high 80s.

“It’s still going to be well-above normal for the most part,” he said.

Hanna Webster: hwebster@post-gazette.com

First Published: June 21, 2024, 4:03 p.m.
Updated: June 24, 2024, 3:23 p.m.

RELATED
People living in a homeless encampment on the North Side talk to Lloyd Massie, an outreach worker with Light of Life Rescue Mission, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. During this week's heat wave, workers are making more rounds to give out cold water, personal invitations to visit the shelter to cool off, and other necessities.
Abby Lipold
Outreach workers double efforts to help the homeless during scorching heat wave
The outside of the Homewood Healthy active living center is seen in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Homewood North on June 17, 2024. The Living center is also currently serving as a cooling center during the heat wave hitting Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Where to find cooling centers in and around Pittsburgh during extreme heat
Ice chips fly as Nate Lord chops out a block at Rockywold Deephaven Camps on Thursday in Holderness, N.H. Ice harvested from Squam Lake during the winter is insulated with sawdust in an ice house. It is used for refrigeration in ice boxes at each guest cabin throughout the summer.
Nick Perry and Holly Ramer
Millions are sweating it out as a heat wave nears its peak from Midwest to Maine
SHOW COMMENTS (244)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Traffic passes by U.S. Steel in Braddock on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. An activist investor has accused U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt of potential insider trading as the group pressures investors to support its own plan for the iconic Pittsburgh steelmaker, which includes a new board and abandoning a planned merger with Japan’s Nippon Steel.
1
business
Ancora launches ‘Make U.S. Steel Great Again’ campaign, accuses CEO of insider trading
Gov. Josh Shapiro is joined in the broadcast booth by Curtis Aiken before the start of Pitt-Syracuse on Tuesday night at Petersen Events Center.
2
sports
Governor Josh Shapiro aims to make Pennsylvania 'compete' in NIL, bring 'stability' to transfer portal
President Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (Photo/Alex Brandon)
3
news
McCormick on board with Trump, DOGE shakeup while Fetterman blasts 'chaos, confusion'
Head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith watch a receivers and defensive backs drill at Steelers Minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex Thursday, June 13, 2024.
4
sports
Gerry Dulac: Next season’s major decisions loom this week for Mike Tomlin, Steelers staff
Pitt’s Jalend Lowe (15) shoots a 3-pointer against Syracuse at the NCAA men’s basketball game on Tuesday Feb. 18, 2025 at Petersen Event Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.
5
sports
Instant analysis: Opportunistic Pitt defense flips another first half deficit into win over Syracuse
Eric Cardwell, the Athletic trainer for North Hills High School and Allegheny Health Network hides from the sun by sitting under a beach umbrella with a fan by his side during the 7 on 7 passing high school football camp at North Hills in Martorelli Stadium in Pittsburgh on June 21, 2024.  (Esteban Marenco/Post-Gazette)
A jet ski makes its way down the Allegheny River on a 95 degree day as seen from the Donald R. Lobaugh Bridge in Allegheny Twp. Westmoreland County on Friday June 21, 2024.  (Justin Guido/for the Post-Gazette)
An aerial view of the Pittsburgh skyline and Point State Park with the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers forming the Ohio, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Pittsburgh.  (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
The Downtown skyline with the Fort Pitt Bridge on Thursday, May 30, 2024.  (Lucy Schaly/Post-Gazette)
Michael Schoeb left, and his friend Jack Guatelo, right, fish at Lake Emile in Reniehausen Park in McKeesport on June 17, 2024. The two fishermen stayed safe from the heat by standing in the shade.  (Esteban Marenco/Post-Gazette)
The outside of the Homewood Healthy Active Living Center is seen in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Homewood North on June 17, 2024. The Living Center also serves as a cooling center during the heat wave hitting Pittsburgh.  (Esteban Marenco/Post-Gazette)
The Downtown Pittsburgh skyline, with the view from Station Square on Thursday, May 30, 2024.  (Lucy Schaly/Post-Gazette)
Esteban Marenco/Post-Gazette
Advertisement
LATEST news
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story