Heat Plus Humidity Are Signs Of Changing Weather
Last summer had some hot – very hot – days.
This summer has had more of them, and if this is a trend of global warming then Southern California is one of the first places being affected by it.
It’s not just the temperatures, which in some areas has exceeded 115 degrees, but something that in the past has been rare in this dry desert air: humidity.
Sometimes it doesn’t seem as things are too bad. I live at the beach and I’ll go our for run on what seems like a fairly pleasant morning. Yet when I finish, my shirt is soaking wet, and I’m not much of a “sweater.” That means there’s a lot of humidity in the air.
It’s been so warm that I’ve taken to doing something that goes against my normal pattern of behavior: I’m running in the morning. Normally, I’ll go through my e-mails, check on any projects I may have to tackle for the day, I might jump on a travel Twitter chat, and then go for a run late morning, say around 11 a.m.
Now, however, I’m out the door by 9 (and I’m NOT a morning person) so I can take advantage of the shade from the houses on The Strand. Even that’s not early enough, for when I return much of the shade has disappeared and I’m running in the direct sunlight.
I am originally from the Southeastern part of America and am also feeling some “Southern” things as the day progresses, such as sticky clothes and having to take a second shower at night to wipe off the grime. This is totally uncharacteristic of Southern California weather.
If this were just one summer then I would consider it a cyclical event. But the fact that it’s been two summers, plus warmer in other parts of the year as well, it appears as if global warming is already affecting the Southern California coast.
Cheers!
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