It Has Been At Least 110 Degrees in Phoenix For 31 Straight Days (Or Why I'm Glad To Be in Boston)

I feel sorry for the people of Phoenix, Arizona who have now endured 31 straight days of temperatures above 110 degrees. 

However, that streak appears to come to an end tomorrow when the high is expected to reach only 108 degrees. 

I cannot fathom living in such conditions and am not sure how the people of Phoenix can do it. Now, I realize this can be done by minimizing one's time outdoors. But people commute and some people have to work outside. Then what of people who are homeless or lack air conditioning? 

If these conditions persist for the foreseeable future, I'm not sure how much longer Phoenix will be fit for human habitation. Climate refugees are spoken of, but we could very well see migrations within the United States due to oppressive heat in places like Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta and other cities in the Sun Belt. 

Needless to say, I'm glad to be living in Boston having just experienced a 75 degree day near the end of July. To be sure, there have been humid days which have not been comfortable, but it is mitigated by the fact we've had all of four days of temperatures over 90 degrees this summer. Boston has had a relatively mild summer in part due to the unseasonably cool weather in June. Last summer, Boston had a 6-day heat wave in July 2022 and another 6-day heat wave in August 2022. It was part of a 3-week stretch which was the hottest in the city's history. Despite the humidity, this summer has been more manageable than the one we had a year ago. With that said, I'm not sure how wise it was for the City of Boston to close pools for renovations during the summer. The pool which I use here in Cambridge is also closed for renovations.

It has been predicted that by 2050, Boston could average 40 days a year of temperatures of 90 degrees and above. This remains to be seen. The summer with the most days above 90 degrees in Boston was 1983 with 30. However, since 2010 the number of days with temperatures 90 degrees and above has been in double digits in every year except for 2014. 

Still, to the people of Phoenix, a 90-degree day right about now would seem like a cold snap.