100 degree days predicted to be more common

June 28, 2011|By Rebecca Zepick | KWCH 12 Eyewitness News

Courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(WICHITA, Kan.) — This week Kansas is facing four days of triple digit weather and it’s only the second week of summer. While Kansas has a history of long hot summers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says 100 plus-degree days will become more common by the end of the century.

NOAA says, “As greenhouse gas emissions and the planet’s temperature continue to rise, models project that heat waves will become more frequent, more severe, and longer-lasting.”

Between 1961 and 1979, California, the Southwest and Southwest Plains experienced temperatures over 100 degrees for enough days to add up to several weeks during the year. The temperature for the Great Planes region, which includes Kansas, has increased 1.5 degrees since a 1960-1979 baseline.

This year Wichita has seen the third most days on record for temperatures at or over 100 degrees. The temperature for the Great Planes region is expected to increase between 2.5 degrees to more than 13 degrees in the next century compared to the 1960 – 1979 baseline.

According to NOAA’s projected models between 2018 - 2099, in a scenario with “lower-emissions” of greenhouse gas, Kansans could face between 30 to 80 of the sweltering days and places as far as Montana and Washington state could face 10 to 20 days of triple digit heat.

In a second scenario using higher greenhouse gas emissions, NOAA’s research shows Kansas could have between 90 to 105 days of 100 degree days with some parts of the country dealing with over four months of the dangerous temperatures.

Extreme temperatures can cause problems for the population, particularly the elderly. The Red Cross and the national weather service say it’s important to know the signs of heat disorder including, sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke where the body temperature reaches over 106 degrees.

About 175 people die each year from heat related deaths and health and safety officials recommend reducing strenuous activities in the heat, staying hydrated, avoiding salt and alcoholic beverages and staying out of the sun for extended periods of time.

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