With March 20 marking the first day of spring, a new analysis has found that Philadelphia spring temperatures are rising faster than the suburban areas and much of the nation, write Andrew Freedman and Mike D’Onofrio for AXIOS Philadelphia.
Climate Central, a nonprofit climate research and communications organization, produced an analysis of average spring temperatures throughout the United States between 1970 and 2024.
According to the analysis, Philadelphia saw a 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit uptick in average spring temperatures during that time frame.
While 97 percent of the 241 U.S. cities analyzed have seeing warmer springs, the national average is a 2.4 degrees Fahrenheit increase.
As a result, cities like Philadelphia are more likely to experience extreme weather events like heatwaves. The city is also more prone to worsened seasonal allergies and threatened ecosystems.
Last spring, Philadelphia tied its previous record in 2012 with its hottest on average at 58.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Philly suburbs have also been experiencing rising spring temperature averages. In Bucks County, average temperatures rose by 3.1 degrees; Montgomery County saw a 3 degree increase; Delaware County’s increased by 2.9 degrees; and Chester County temperatures increased by 2.8 degrees.
Read more about how prevalent average spring temperature increases are in Philly and throughout the nation at AXIOS Philadelphia.
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