Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
247 Tempo
The Average Summer Temperature Every Decade Since 1895
By Jenna Jury,
22 days ago
Global warming is a topic that doesn’t come up in daily conversations, at least not often. Yet, since 1895, temperature mapping done by scientists has proven to be a valuable tool. Since June has arrived, now is the perfect time to look at the average summer temperature every decade since 1895.
Temperature mapping has allowed us to see the average rate at which land and ocean temperatures increase; this is around 0.11 degrees Fahrenheit every decade. While this number may seem like a slight increase, it still affects and changes habits by melting snow and sea ice, increasing temperature, and more. These changes, even slightly, can change the habitats that plants and animals need to survive.
To create a list of the average temperature every decade since 1895, 24/7 Tempo consulted the National Centers for Environmental Information. On this site, we viewed the data table, which provides the average temperature for the summer months of June to September every year since 1895. From there, we calculated the averages for every decade.
Swedish scientist Svante August Arrhenius (1859-1927) in 1896 was the first to conclude that human-caused carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fuel burning and other combustion processes are large enough to cause global warming.
Average Summer Temperature: 82.67 degrees Fahrenheit
Temperature mapping dates back to the year 1895. We took the average yearly temperature between June and September to find each decade’s average. However, since the data did not begin collecting until 1895, we used the last half of the 1890s.
The highest summer in the 1890 decade was 1898, with a maximum average temperature of 83.07 degrees Fahrenheit.
1900-1909
Swedish meteorologist Nils Gustaf Ekholm (1848-1923) was the first to use the term “greenhouse effect” in relation to global warming.
Average Summer Temperature: 81.97 degrees Fahrenheit
Between 1900 and 1909, the summer months averaged 81.97 degrees Fahrenheit. This was slightly cooler than the last half of the previous decade.
The highest average temperature of this decade occurred in the summer of 1901. Between June and September, the average temperature was 83.27 degrees Fahrenheit that year.
1910-1919
The impact of the greenhouse effect on climate was presented to the public early in the 20th century, as succinctly described in this 1912 Popular Mechanics article.
Average Summer Temperature: 82.31 degrees Fahrenheit
1910 to 1919 saw a range of higher and lower temperatures. The highest average temperature was in 1919 at 83.47 degrees Fahrenheit. The lowest average temperature occurred in 1915 at 80.33 degrees Fahrenheit.
1920-1929
Oil production in Texas began to boom in the 1920s. Pictured is the Spindletop Oil Field in Beaumont.
Average Summer Temperature: 82.52 degrees Fahrenheit
The average summer temperature only moved slightly in the following decade. However, a new record of an average of 84.23 degrees Fahrenheit was seen in the summer of 1922.
1930-1939
A family in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, is forced to leave their home during the Great Depression, due to a serious drought in the region in June 1938. The photo was taken by famed photographer Dorothea Lange.
Average Summer Temperature: 84.37 degrees Fahrenheit
The following decade, 1930 to 1939, also saw a new average record of 85.73 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer of 1936.
Additionally, this decade had hotter summer months, bringing the average temperatures to between 83 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. These higher-than-average temperatures meant a new average of 84.37 degrees Fahrenheit, up almost 2 degrees from the previous decade.
1940-1949
Between 1900 and 1940, Earth saw temperatures rise and people became more aware of global warming.
Average Summer Temperature: 82.79 degrees Fahrenheit
Between the years 1940 to 1949, the summer months saw cooler temperatures than the previous decade. The lowest year was 1945, with an average summer temperature of 81.86 degrees Fahrenheit. With the lower temperatures, the average summer temperature decreased to 82.79 degrees Fahrenheit.
1950-1959
A danger sign warns visitors of high concentrations of carbon dioxide gas June 24, 2000, at Horseshoe Lake on the southeast side of Mammoth Mountain near Mammoth Lakes, California. Canadian physicist Gilbert Plass in 1953 said an increase in industrial activity was causing carbon dioxide to rise into the atmosphere, which would lead to a 1.5-degree increase in average temperature per century.
Average Summer Temperature: 83.17 degrees Fahrenheit
The summer of 1950 was a little cooler, with the lowest temperature average at 80.94 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the following years averaged between 82 and 83 degrees Fahrenheit, bringing the average for the 1950s decade up slightly.
1960-1969
In the late 1960s, studies first began to suggest the collapse of ice sheets in Antarctica due to a global rise in temperatures.
Average Summer Temperature: 82.27 degrees Fahrenheit
Still fluctuating between 82 and 83 degrees Fahrenheit on average, the decade of the ’60s saw a range of average temperatures. The lowest average occurred in the summer of 1965, with an average temperature of 80.37 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest average occurred in 1960, with an average temperature of 83.72 degrees Fahrenheit.
1970-1979
Earth Day was introduced on April 22, 1970. Here, a banner is seen at the inaugural celebration in New York City.
Average Summer Temperature: 82.38 degrees Fahrenheit
The average temperatures through the ’70s stayed between 81.48 and 83.19 degrees Fahrenheit.
1980-1989
British Prime Minster Margaret Thatcher in 1988 became the first world leader to call for action on greenhouse gas emissions as the term “global warming” went mainstream in the media and politics.
Average Summer Temperature: 82.69 degrees Fahrenheit
In the 1980s, the average temperature ticked up slightly, with the highest occurring in 1988 at 84.40 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the average summer temperature throughout this decade stayed relatively the same.
1990-1999
Toyota introduced the environmentally-friendly Prius, the first mass-market electric hybrid car, in 1997. In the years since, more automakers have begun making electric and hybrid vehicles to meet consumer demand.
Average Summer Temperature: 82.58 degrees Fahrenheit
Through the 1990s, the lowest average temperature happened in 1992 at 80.64 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest was in 1994 at 84.30 degrees Fahrenheit.
2000-2009
“The Day After Tomorrow” hit theaters in 2004, depicting worldwide catastrophes due to shifts in climate. It raked in over $85 million at the box office on its opening weekend.
Average Summer Temperature: 83.50
degrees Fahrenheit
In the 2000s, the average summer temperature was higher in the 84 degrees Fahrenheit range than in the previous decade. These averages brought the decade average up almost a degree at 83.50 degrees Fahrenheit.
2010-2019
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks at the United Nations Signing Ceremony for the Paris Agreement climate change accord that came out of negotiations at the COP21 climate summit in Paris on April 22, 2016, in New York City. At least 155 countries were expected to sign the agreement to limit warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
Average Summer Temperature: 84.06 degrees Fahrenheit
In the 2010s, the summer average saw another tick upward, at 84.06 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest average temperature occurred in 2012, with 85.37 degrees Fahrenheit.
2020-2023
People cool off on the beach in Coney Island on July 6, 2023, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. As global warming continues to raise temperatures around the world, heat records are being broken at an unprecedented rate.
Average Summer Temperature: 84.82 degrees Fahrenheit
The past three years have seen warmer summer months. In the summer of 2020, the average temperature was 84.51 degrees Fahrenheit; in 2021, 85.14 degrees Fahrenheit; in 2022, 85.27 degrees Fahrenheit; and in 2023, it was 84.37 degrees Fahrenheit. While the upward tick in average degrees may seem slight, as the Earth warms up, it can have numerous effects on the habitat. (Here’s a look at 20 beloved foods that could disappear because of climate change .)
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Most Popular
Comments / 0