The Temperature Gap Keeps Growing in These Cities

Weather

A hot wave, also known as a heatwave, occurs when temperatures soar significantly above the average for a prolonged period, often leading to health risks, power outages, and increased wildfire hazards

Published: November 13, 2024 10:10 am

During the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference, researchers shared a report that sought to identify the economic impact of extreme weather events related to climate. The report classified extreme and chronic weather events as things such as flooding caused by high rainfall, or the wide-reaching impacts of heat waves caused by higher-than-average temperatures. Using various data points, the report concluded that extreme climate-related weather events have contributed to a cumulative $2 trillion cost over the past decade — with $451 billion coming from 2022 and 2023 alone. Unfortunately, this path will probably worsen in the future. Our world continues to experience shifting climates, worsening hurricanes, higher levels of poverty, more infrastructure damage, and widespread violence due to climate change. As the effects worsen, we’ll most likely see more people affected, higher levels of fatality, and more people having to relocate (if possible) to “safer” areas. Contributing to sustainable effects and urging companies to take more eco-friendly approaches to business is necessary to protect our world from future damage. (This is every billion dollar weather event in the U.S. this past year.)

This summer, in the United States, was especially challenging as temperatures soared to levels way higher than normal. In fact, 2024’s summer heat wave has been tied to at least 30 fatalities in the West. Overall, in 2023, 2,325 people died from heat-related causes; this was an increase over the previous two years, with 1,700 deaths in 2022 and 1,602 in 2021. To determine the southern cities who faced the worst heat waves in early July 2024, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed county-level data on daily average temperature from the NOAA’s nClimGrid-Daily program. County seats were ranked based on the raw differential in average daily temperature from the period of July 1-6, 1981-2010, to July 16, 2024. Only county seats with at least 10,000 residents were considered. Population data is collected from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey. It’s important to emphasize that our list aims to find how much hotter it is in certain cities compared to their normal temperatures, so it considers the deviation from normal temperatures — how much hotter current temperatures are compared to historic normals (rather than how high the temperatures are). Also, the list only considers the week of 1-6 July, and some records have been broken since.

Why Does This Matter?

Climate change is worsening all kinds of extreme weather globally. But much of the changes are related to heat as heat fuels other types of extreme weather. Scientists’ analysis found that certain extreme heat waves last year would not have been possible without climate change. Additionally, extreme heat is the deadliest form of weather globally, and the population’s exposure to extreme heat is increasing. One way to understand how climate change is affecting us is by looking at the deviation of temperatures from normal historic temperatures. (This liberal state saw the biggest increases in CO2 emissions.)

These are the Southern cities that experienced the worst heat waves in July 2024:

50. Durant, OK (Bryan County)

Durant June 2018 02... by Michael Barera

Durant June 2018 02... (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Michael Barera

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 86.0°F (+4.6°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 81.4°F
Total population: 18,759

49. Baton Rouge, LA (East Baton Rouge Parish)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 86.2°F (+4.6°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 81.5°F
Total population: 225,500

48. Clanton, AL (Chilton County)

Peaches (CC BY 2.0) by NatalieMaynor

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.8°F (+4.6°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 79.1°F
Total population: 8,776

47. Talladega, AL (Talladega County)

Talladega County Courthouse by formulanone

Talladega County Courthouse (CC BY-SA 2.0) by formulanone

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.2°F (+4.6°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 78.5°F
Total population: 15,071

46. Idabel, OK (McCurtain County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.8°F (+4.7°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 79.1°F
Total population: 6,994

45. Anniston, AL (Calhoun County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.7°F (+4.7°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 78.0°F
Total population: 21,502

44. Greenville, TX (Hunt County)

Hunt courthouse 2010 (BY-SA 4.0) by Larry D. Moore

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 86.5°F (+4.7°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 81.7°F
Total population: 28,923

43. Thomaston, GA (Upson County)

Upson County Courthouse (West face) by Michael Rivera

Upson County Courthouse (West face) (BY-SA 3.0) by Michael Rivera

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.5°F (+4.7°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 78.7°F
Total population: 9,720

42. San Angelo, TX (Tom Green County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 86.3°F (+4.7°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 81.5°F
Total population: 99,422

41. Griffin, GA (Spalding County)

Spalding County Courthouse (NE corner) by Michael Rivera

Spalding County Courthouse (NE corner) (BY-SA 3.0) by Michael Rivera

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.2°F (+4.8°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 78.4°F
Total population: 23,485

40. McDonough, GA (Henry County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.3°F (+4.8°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 78.5°F
Total population: 29,134

39. Paris, TX (Lamar County)

Lamar courthouse tx 2010 by Larry D. Moore

Lamar courthouse tx 2010 (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Larry D. Moore

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 85.9°F (+4.8°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 81.1°F
Total population: 24,574

38. Kingman, AZ (Mohave County)

Mohave County Courthouse, Kingman, Arizona by Ken Lund

Mohave County Courthouse, Kingman, Arizona (BY-SA 2.0) by Ken Lund

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 88.4°F (+4.8°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 83.5°F
Total population: 33,052

37. Barnesville, GA (Lamar County)

Heat wave of extreme sun and sky background. Hot weather with global warming concept. Temperature of Summer season

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.2°F (+4.8°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 78.4°F
Total population: 6,200

36. Fort Stockton, TX (Pecos County)

Pecos County Courthouse, Fort Stockton, Texas by TexasExplorer98

Pecos County Courthouse, Fort Stockton, Texas (BY 2.0) by TexasExplorer98

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 86.2°F (+4.9°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 81.3°F
Total population: 8,404

35. LaGrange, GA (Troup County)

Troup County Georgia Government Center by Rivers Langley; SaveRivers

Troup County Georgia Government Center (BY-SA 3.0) by Rivers Langley; SaveRivers

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.3°F (+4.9°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 78.4°F
Total population: 31,173

34. Bonham, TX (Fannin County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 86.4°F (+5.0°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 81.4°F
Total population: 10,485

33. Tucson, AZ (Pima County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 91.0°F (+5.0°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 86.1°F
Total population: 541,033

32. Jackson, GA (Butts County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.7°F (+5.0°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 78.7°F
Total population: 5,497

31. Conyers, GA (Rockdale County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.2°F (+5.0°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 78.3°F
Total population: 17,415

30. Gainesville, GA (Hall County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 81.3°F (+5.0°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 76.3°F
Total population: 42,780

29. Hugo, OK (Choctaw County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 85.6°F (+5.0°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 80.6°F
Total population: 5,178

28. Jefferson, GA (Jackson County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.5°F (+5.0°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.5°F
Total population: 13,496

27. Athens-Clarke County, GA (Clarke County)

Clarke County Courthouse (Clarke County, Georgia) by Michael Rivera

Clarke County Courthouse (Clarke County, Georgia) (BY-SA 4.0) by Michael Rivera

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.9°F (+5.0°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.9°F
Total population: 126,672

26. Decatur, GA (DeKalb County)

The Old DeKalb County Courthouse by Lee Coursey

The Old DeKalb County Courthouse (CC BY 2.0 DEED) by Lee Coursey

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.9°F (+5.0°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.9°F
Total population: 24,421

25. Fayetteville, GA (Fayette County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.1°F (+5.0°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 78.1°F
Total population: 19,010

24. Covington, GA (Newton County)

Newton County Courthouse, Covi... by John Trainor

Newton County Courthouse, Covi... (CC BY 2.0) by John Trainor

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.4°F (+5.1°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 78.4°F
Total population: 14,190

23. Monroe, GA (Walton County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.9°F (+5.1°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.8°F
Total population: 15,036

22. Winder, GA (Barrow County)

Barrow County Courthouse, Winder GA by johntrainor

Barrow County Courthouse, Winder GA (BY 2.0) by johntrainor

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.5°F (+5.1°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.4°F
Total population: 18,414

21. LaFayette, GA (Walker County)

File:Walker County (GA) Courthouse.jpg by PrometheusX303 at English Wikipedia

File:Walker County (GA) Courthouse.jpg (BY-SA 3.0) by PrometheusX303 at English Wikipedia

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 81.7°F (+5.2°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 76.5°F
Total population: 6,929

20. Lawrenceville, GA (Gwinnett County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.3°F (+5.2°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.1°F
Total population: 30,465

19. Atlanta, GA (Fulton County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.8°F (+5.3°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.6°F
Total population: 494,838

18. Del Rio, TX (Val Verde County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 89.0°F (+5.3°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 83.7°F
Total population: 34,722

17. Rome, GA (Floyd County)

Floyd County Administration Building; Rome, Georgia; June 23, 2011 by Stephen Matthew Milligan

Floyd County Administration Building; Rome, Georgia; June 23, 2011 (BY-SA 3.0) by Stephen Matthew Milligan

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.3°F (+5.3°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.9°F
Total population: 37,621

16. Marietta, GA (Cobb County)

Cobb+County+GA | Cobb County Courthouse, Marietta GA

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.8°F (+5.3°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.5°F
Total population: 61,387

15. Newnan, GA (Coweta County)

Coweta County Courthouse, Newnan, GA, US by Jud McCranie

Coweta County Courthouse, Newnan, GA, US (BY-SA 4.0) by Jud McCranie

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.1°F (+5.3°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.8°F
Total population: 42,689

14. Alpine, TX (Brewster County)

Brewster County Courthouse, Alpine, Texas by TexasExplorer98

Brewster County Courthouse, Alpine, Texas (BY 2.0) by TexasExplorer98

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 86.2°F (+5.4°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 80.9°F
Total population: 5,997

13. Dahlonega, GA (Lumpkin County)

suburb+in+Georgia | Lost Creek in Dallas, GA

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 79.2°F (+5.4°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 73.8°F
Total population: 7,083

12. Cumming, GA (Forsyth County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 81.7°F (+5.4°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 76.3°F
Total population: 7,371

11. Prescott, AZ (Yavapai County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 84.4°F (+5.5°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 78.9°F
Total population: 46,054

10. Douglasville, GA (Douglas County)

Old Douglas County Courthouse; Douglasville, Georgia; January 30, 2011 by Stephen Matthew Milligan

Old Douglas County Courthouse; Douglasville, Georgia; January 30, 2011 (BY-SA 3.0) by Stephen Matthew Milligan

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.7°F (+5.5°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.2°F
Total population: 35,252

9. Cartersville, GA (Bartow County)

Bartow County Courthouse; Cartersville, Georgia; June 23, 2011 by Stephen Matthew Milligan

Bartow County Courthouse; Cartersville, Georgia; June 23, 2011 (BY-SA 3.0) by Stephen Matthew Milligan

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.2°F (+5.5°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.7°F
Total population: 23,103

8. Dalton, GA (Whitfield County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.8°F (+5.5°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.2°F
Total population: 34,358

7. Cedartown, GA (Polk County)

Courthouse of Polk County, Georgia by The original uploader was Karlward at English Wikipedia.

Courthouse of Polk County, Georgia (BY-SA 3.0) by The original uploader was Karlward at English Wikipedia.

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.7°F (+5.5°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.2°F
Total population: 10,166

6. Dallas, GA (Paulding County)

Historical Paulding County Courthouse - Dallas GA by TheMillCreek

Historical Paulding County Courthouse - Dallas GA (CC BY-SA 3.0) by TheMillCreek

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.6°F (+5.6°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.0°F
Total population: 14,126

5. Calhoun, GA (Gordon County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 83.4°F (+5.6°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 77.8°F
Total population: 17,184

4. Canton, GA (Cherokee County)

Old Cherokee County Courthouse; Canton, Georgia; November 4, 2012 by Stephen Matthew Milligan

Old Cherokee County Courthouse; Canton, Georgia; November 4, 2012 (BY-SA 3.0) by Stephen Matthew Milligan

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.3°F (+5.6°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 76.7°F
Total population: 33,499

3. Carrollton, GA (Carroll County)

Carroll County Courthouse 1928 by Michael Rivera

Carroll County Courthouse 1928 (BY-SA 3.0) by Michael Rivera

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 82.4°F (+5.7°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 76.7°F
Total population: 26,622

2. Phoenix, AZ (Maricopa County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 96.3°F (+6.1°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 90.1°F
Total population: 1,609,456

1. Yuma, AZ (Yuma County)

Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 2024: 97.5°F (+6.7°F hotter than normal)
Avg. temperature, July 1-6, 1981-2010: 90.8°F
Total population: 96,314

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Read more: Weather, arizona heat wave, atlanta heat wave, cities heat wave, climate change, deviation from normal temperatures, difference from normal temperatures, georgia heat wave, global warming, heat wave, phoenix heat wave, texas heat wave, tucson heat wave

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