Extremely Hot June 1 In Vermont Part Of A Disturbing Trend

A few days after I cut away some frost damaged leaves from
this costa, the same plant suffered some heat scald in 
Thursday record heat and desert dry air. 

 Once again on Thursday, we had an over-performing heat wave in Vermont. 

The temperature in Burlington got up to 96 degrees, shattering the old record for the date by six degrees. This was also the hottest temperature for so early in the season. 

This was part of a worrying trend, consistent with climate change.  We've been seeing many new record for hottest so early in the season in the spring. We've also seen a spate of hottest for so late in the season during the autumn. 

Weather patterns that favor hot weather are getting a boost from climate change, turning what would have been a toasty day into something torrid. Or at least completely out of character for the season. 

The trend in Burlington for hottest for so early/late in the season really ramped up after 2015 and if anything, has intensified.

I've got plenty of receipts. Here's some examples from Burlington's records:

May, 27, 2020, 95 degrees, hottest for so early in the season and a new May record. 

June 7, 2021, 96, which until yesterday was the hottest for so early in the season. 

October 26, 2022, 78 degrees, warmest for so late in the season

November 6, 2022, 76 degrees, warmest on record for the month of November and warmest for so late in the autumn. 

April 15, 2023, 88 degrees, hottest for so early in the season. 

The springtime earliest first 70, 80 and 90 degree days have all happened since 2002:

 Burlington's records go back to 1884.  Nine of 12 months had their all time record highs tied or broken since 1995.  The most recent month in which the entire month's low was tied was in 1986.  

Lots of numbers we just went through, but you see my point, I'm sure. 

DAMAGING HEAT?

Other records for the date set in Vermont yesterday include 94 in St. Johnsbury and 90 in Montpelier. The air was incredibly dry during yesterday's heat, too. Usually heat waves in Vermont are fairly  humid. Not this one. 

A bit hard to see in this photo, but these sugar maple
leaves wilted in the record heat and desert dryness
Thursday in St. Albans, Vermont. Most of these
leaves had recovered by this morning

I noticed the dry heat put a lot of stress on garden plants. And probably some agricultural crops, too. Some of which were already damaged in the tough May 18 freeze.

In my gardens, I notice some of my hostas once again have heat scald, some of why iris blooms turned brown prematurely.

 Even the leaves on healthy sugar maple trees around me temporarily partly wilted in the desert heat. (Vermont's forests are not meant for a climate like, say Phoenix). 

We now need a lot of rain. Not the relatively paltry amounts in the forecast. At least an anticipated lengthy cool spell will help things recover a little

LOOKING AHEAD 

We have one more hot day today.  We won't set another hottest for early in the season, but more daily records could be set.

It'll turn a little more humid, too. Bad for us humans, but maybe a bit of relief for those over-stressed garden plants and crops.

Clouds and scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon will also help tamp down the dust.  The thunderstorms that do form won't be severe, but they'll be slow moving. So, while most places won't get all that much rain, a few lucky people stuck under a slow moving storm could get a decent dump of rain. That'll be the exception, not the rule. 

After today, we'll go through a long period of relatively cool weather that will could last two weeks or more. Luckily for outdoor activity, previous forecasts for showery, overcast weather for Saturday have improved to cool, partly sunny with isolated sprinkles. 

All of next week, and quite possibly the following week, will feature highs only in the 60s to around 70, with almost daily chances of showers. That's a pretty long stretch of cooler than normal conditions.

However, given the trends I've just given you in detail, it's only a matter of time - weeks or months, really - that we'll endure another whacked out spell of unprecedented warmth. That's not just here, but in most places around the world.

We've changed the climate. So get used to extremes.