Boston Hit 70 Degrees On Thursday; 'Easily The Warmest Fall On Record' To Date
BOSTON (CBS) -- Did you get outside today? If you did you likely were able to shed the jacket and sweater, and perhaps and throw on a pair of shorts! November 18 and the high Thursday was 70 degrees in Boston.
Just for some perspective, the average high for today's date is 51.
70 degrees is a "normal" high for September 24th, that was nearly 2 months ago.
70 degrees is the average high in November. . . in San Diego!
Boston didn't break a record but came darn close. The record for November 18 is 73 degrees set back in 1953.
The average last 70 of the year in Boston in November 1. Last year our last 70 came on November 11.
This is the latest Boston has hit 70 in a calendar year since 2001 when the city hit 72 on December 6.
The low this morning was 52 degrees, 1 degree higher than the average high for today!
Want more? You got it!
Today was the 149th time Boston's temperature rose to 70 or higher in 2021, that is a record. Second place was 141 days back in 2010.
Today was the 40th time Boston hit 70 this meteorological fall (Sep-Oct-Nov), that ties the record set in 1947.
Bigger picture: Today is just the latest "warm weather news" for Boston in what has been a very warm year. Through today's date Boston is currently running as the warmest year on record (other recent years in the top 15: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2006, 2002)
Also to date, this is easily the warmest fall on record in Boston, a full degree ahead of 2017 and 2010. (other recent years in the top 20: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2011, 2010, 2007)
You may also recall that we just experienced the warmest summer ever recorded in Boston as well. . . (other recent years in the top 15: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2013, 2011, 2010)
It would be impossible to look at all this data and conclude anything other than we are warming. One more mind bending stat, this one from the oldest continuous weather record keeping station in the country, Blue Hill. . . Since 2010 Blue Hill has recorded 45 "top 10" temperature months. Of those 44 have been top 10 warmest, just none a top 10 coldest.
This blog could very easily go down the climate change rabbit hole (I think we may have already) and I don't want to put a damper on this remarkably nice November day. Just hard to continue to pile up these warm days, warm months, and warm years without making note, it would be irresponsible to do so. So, while we enjoy these "bonus days" which seem to be coming with more and more frequency, lets also continue the conversation. The word "normal" in weather is hard to define and really doesn't exist. . . normal weather is really just an average of extremes. Was today "abnormal"? I guess so, but not unprecedented. But when "abnormal" or "unusual" days turn into months and then years and on and on. . . something has to give.
When will it end? Or will it?
I promise to continue the conversation along with the rest of our team here at WBZ. If you want to learn more, check out our "Eye on Earth" section on CBSBoston.com/weather
Follow Terry on Twitter @TerryWBZ
