Here's How Much Longer Summer Is Lasting In MA

MASSACHUSETTS — It doesn't just feel as if the steamy temperatures of summer are lasting longer in Massachusetts, they are, according to an analysis of historical weather data over the past 30 years conducted by climatologist Brian Brettschneider and shared with The Washington Post.

According to Brettschneider's analysis, summer in cities across Massachusetts lasts anywhere from 12 days to 14 days beyond the calendar definition of the season — the 93 to 94 days between the summer solstice and the fall equinox, this year on Sept. 22.

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In Boston, summer is 12 days longer than it was 30 years ago with an average of 102 days with temperatures above 66 degrees from June 7 to Sept. 16, compared to a shorter average span of June 11 through Sept. 8 from 1965 to 1994.

Worcester averages 14 more warm days during those months than 30 years ago, while Beverly averages 13 more days, Falmouth averages 13 more days.

The weather across southern New England is looking good for what many consider the final weekend with no major storms, heat or humidity in sight.

After the cold front dropped dew points into the 40s overnight early Tuesday, that will continue through Thursday with sunny skies and highs each day in the 70s.

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Friday brings the best chance of scattered showers and higher humidity this week with thunderstorms possible after 2 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The high temperature on Friday is 77 degrees with showers lingering into Friday night.

Any rain should wrap up early on Saturday — setting the stage for a stunning weekend with a high of 73 degrees on Saturday, 76 degrees on Sunday and 75 degrees on Monday.

Brettschneider examined the hottest 90 days of the year from 1965 to 1994 and compared their frequency to the years between 1995 and 2024.

Overall, cities in the southern U.S. and California are gaining the most summer days. The Mid-Atlantic and Pacific Northwest have seen a more moderate expansion of summer and the Midwest has seen the least lengthening of summer, according to Brettschneider’s analysis.

Cities where summer lasts the longest include:

• San Francisco, 42 more days
• Miami, 39 more days
• McAllen, Texas, 36 more days
• New Orleans, 30 more days
• Houston, 29 more days
• Tampa, 24 more days
• Los Angeles, 23 more days
• Austin, 23 more days
• El Paso, 23 more days
• Reno, Nevada, 23 more days

You can use The Washington Post’s tool to see just how much summer is increasing in your city here.

Yuping Guan, a physical oceanographer at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who was not involved in the analysis, told The Post the rate of change over the past 30 years "is faster than anticipated."

He and his team conducted a global study in 2021 that showed summer heat is lasting a few more days each decade in the Northern Hemisphere. Although the study used slightly different datasets, "the trends are consistent," Guan told The Post.

Last year and the past decade have been the hottest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Earth’s average surface temperature has been rising because of human-produced greenhouse gases, which trap heat in our atmosphere, according to NOAA.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)