Early Fall Outlook Released: When PA Residents Can Expect Break From Heat

PENNSYLVANIA — People in Pennsylvania anticipating the arrival of cooler fall weather may have to sweat through a hotter-than-usual fall, according to a new late summer and early fall outlook.

In a look ahead at temperatures for August, September and October, The Weather Channel and Atmospheric G2 said summer heat will continue into early fall in much of the country.

Above-average temperatures are expected from the Great Basin and Southwest to the East Coast, especially in parts of the Rockies, Plains and Midwest. The immediate West Coast could see slightly above or below normal temperatures, the outlook said.

Here’s what the next few months look like in Pennsylvania:

August: While forecasters say we can expect a tad less heat, temperatures in states from the Southwest to the Great Lakes and much of the East should still trend above average in August.

September: Fall officially starts in September, but don't expect the heat to relax much. Much of the nation — from the East Coast to the Great Basin — is also expected to skew warm.

October: If you’re looking forward to the arrival of crisp, cool air, you may be disappointed. October is most likely to be warmer than usual from the Great Lakes and interior Northeast through the Midwest and Plains states.

Predictions for hot temperatures lingering well into fall come amid mounting concern that climate change is making summers hotter and longer.

Since U.S. records began in 1895, four of the five hottest summers have occurred this century, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The summer of 2021 tied with the summer of 1936 for the hottest on record. The summers of 2022, 2012 and 2011 rounded out the top five hottest.

Heat records have been broken in many parts of the country this summer. June was the second-hottest on record in 130 years for the continental U.S., behind June 2021. July also started with a record heat wave in the West.

Summers have warmed considerably in many parts of the country, according to Climate Central, a nonprofit news group whose scientists write about climate. In 230 of 241 locations investigated by the organization, 58 percent are experiencing at least two more weeks of hot summer weather than in 1970.

In Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia area has experienced nearly three weeks — or 19 days — above average summer temperatures. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh area experienced 13 days of above average summer temperatures.