Amarillo by 2100? Mankato summers are heading south

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - If you’ve ever wondered what summertime might be like around here in the year 2100, hit the road to Amarillo, TX.

Since 1970, Mankato’s average summertime high temperature has increased by almost 2 degrees. If our current emissions trends continue, climate models suggest that by 2100, Mankato’s average summer high temperature could be 10.5 degrees warmer than it is today. That means our summers around and after 2100 will be as hot as summers in Amarillo, Texas, today. Throw in some good ol’ Midwest summertime humidity, and folks around here will be struggling through a lot of brutal, sweltering summer days.

The Twin Cities area is also expected to see an average summertime high temp increase of 10.5° by 2100, which means that by 2100 summers will feel more like present-day Tulsa, O.K.

The six largest cities in the U.S. are projected to experience the following shifts by 2100:

New York is projected to warm by 7.6 °F, with summers more like present-day Columbia, S.C.

Los Angeles is projected to warm by 5.8 °F, with summers more like Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano, Mexico

Chicago is projected to warm by 9.1 °F, with summers more like Montgomery, Ala.

Houston is projected to warm by 6.4 °F, with summers more like Lahore, Pakistan

Phoenix is projected to warm by 7.2 °F, with summers more like Al Mubarraz, Saudi Arabia

Shifting summer temperatures have the potential to make extreme heat more common, disrupt local ecosystems, introduce new health risks, and strain local economies. Something to keep in mind as we try to come up with new and more innovative ways to reduce fossil fuel emissions.