ICYMI, there’s been a lot of talk in the news recently about the earth’s climate. 🌎 In fact, just last week several groups from Lakeland spent time sharing their input by joining other rallies across the U.S.
First, what is climate versus weather? Weather is defined by the National Snow and Ice Data Center as “the day-to-day state of the atmosphere and its short-term variation from minutes to weeks.” Climate is “the weather of a place averaged over a period of time, often 30 years.” Climate data also tracks weather extremes, like frequency of droughts + flooding.
So with this global conversation on the rise, we wanted to know if it’s actually getting hotter in Lakeland. We did a little digging, and found an interactive tool that allows readers to see how much hotter or cooler their hometown is now, than when they were born.
We decided to throw it all the way back to 1994 (when Editor Kaylee was born) to figure out how many “very hot days” (90° F or hotter) Lakeland has had, and how many it’s having now.
According to information gathered from the Climate Impact Lab, in 1994 Lakeland experienced 135 days per year where the temperature was 90° F or hotter.
Is Your Hometown Hotter or Cooler Than When You Were Born? | Chart by The New York Times
Today, the models show that Lakeland is experiencing 141 days per year where the temperature is 90° F or hotter.
Is Your Hometown Hotter or Cooler Than When You Were Born? | Chart by The New York Times
If this trend continues, you bet we’ll be spending a lot more days at the pool. No matter what side of the conversation you’re on, this summer has been hot, and we’re ready for some cooler weather.
Want to try out the tool for yourself? Click here, enter your birth date, and pick your hometown to see your results.
