BOSTON — We all know Boston as a cold-weather city, but you may be surprised by how hot our warmest summer days really get! It’s no secret that the nation’s highest temperatures reside in the southern US, but the numbers reveal that our hottest weather may not be too dissimilar...
In Boston, a typical summer is characterized by highs generally in the low 80s. The average July high temp is 82.3 degrees. However, a typical summer also features a maximum temperature of 96 degrees on average! The city has also reached the triple-digit mark in 6 of the past 30 years, including a 103 high in July 2011 (one degree shy of the all-time record of 104 on July 4th, 1911)!
But how does this compare to other cities in the U.S.? Let’s take a look at a few in other regions...
In Orlando, the average July high is 91.9 degrees. However, the maximum annual temperature is 97 degrees, only one degree above us! The city has only reached triple digits in 3 of the past 30 years, which is less frequent than us!
In Indianapolis, the average July high is 85.4 degrees. Their maximum annual temperature is 95 degrees, cooler than ours! The city has also reached the triple-digit mark in just 2 of the past 30 years, less frequent than us as well!
In San Francisco, the average July high is only 71.7 degrees! Their maximum annual temperature is 94 degrees, and they have reached 100+ degrees in just 4 of the past 30 years. All lower than our numbers!
In spite of this, our heat simply can’t compete with regions like the Plains and Southwest, where 100-degree highs are a normal annual occurrence. This does go to show, however, that even being a colder city than most, our hottest days still get up there!
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