Summer 2022 Summary – Second Warmest, Eighth Driest and Fourth Sunniest on Record

Blue Hill Observatory Summer 2022 Summary: 

Summer 2022 was exceedingly warm with much less rainfall and much more sunshine than expected. The approximated 24-hour mean temperature for the season of 71.5 deg F was 4.0 degree warmer than the 1891-2020 130-year average for summer, and it was 2.3 degrees warmer than the 1991-2020 30-year average. Summer 2022 was the second warmest on record behind only 71.6 deg F observed in 2016. The average maximum temperature of 82.9 deg F was 3.8 degrees warmer than the 30-year normal, and it was the second warmest on record for summer just behind 83.0 deg F measured in 1949. The average minimum temperature of 62.6 deg F was 1.3 degrees warmer than the 30-year normal, and it was the second warmest on record. The warmth peaked during a pair of six-day heat waves on July 19th-24th and on August 4th-9th. The highest temperature for the season was 99F on July 24th, which surpassed the previous record for the date of 96F set in 1987. This reading was the highest temperature at Blue Hill since 99F was observed on July 22, 2011. The heat waves were among the ten longest ever recorded at Blue Hill since 1885, and this was the first occurrence of two heat waves of six days or longer in the same year on the entire Blue Hill record. There were eighteen 90-degree days during the summer, which was the fourth highest total for any summer on record and it was ten more than the 1991-2020 30-year average. The lowest temperature was 48F on June 18th and June 19th. The lowest temperature during July and August was 57F on July 10th; this reading was the warmest July-August minimum temperature ever recorded. The summer months continued a very dry pattern that began during spring, and the region was in an extreme drought by the end of August. The total summer precipitation was only 6.00 inches, which was 6.01 inches less than the 30-year normal, and the season was the eighth driest summer on record. The greatest rainfall in 24 hours was 0.84 inches on June 27th. There were nine thunderstorm days during the three months, which was five fewer than average for summer. The highest sea-level pressure during summer was 30.36 inches on the morning of August 28th, and the lowest sea-level pressure was 29.52 inches following a few hours of moderate to heavy rain on June 9th. The mean wind speed for June-August was 10.5 mph, and the prevailing wind direction was from the south-southwest. The highest wind gusts were 44 mph from the northwest on August 18th and 43 mph from the west-northwest on June 9th. Summer sunshine was much above average with a total of 864.1 hours of bright sunshine, or 67 percent of possible, which was ten percent more than the long-term average summer sunshine, making it the fourth sunniest summer on record at the Observatory.

BHO Highest Summer (Jun-Aug) 24-Hour Adjusted Mean Temperature, deg F (1885-2022):

1) 71.6 in 2016
2) 71.5 in 2022
3) 71.3 in 2010
4) 71.1 in 2020
5) 70.9 in 2018
6) 70.8 in 1949
7) 70.6 in 1999
8) 70.4 in 1952

BHO Highest Summer (Jun-Aug) Average Maximum Temperature, deg F (1885-2022):

1) 83.0 in 1949
2) 82.9 in 2022
3) 82.4 in 2016
4) 82.1 in 2010
5) 81.5 in 1952
6) 81.3 in 2020

BHO Highest Summer (Jun-Aug) Average Minimum Temperature, deg F (1885-2022):

1) 63.1 in 2020
2) 62.6 in 2022
3) 62.5 in 2010
4) 62.4 in 2018
   62.4 in 2021
6) 62.3 in 2016

BHO Highest July-August Minimum Temperature, deg F (1885-2022):

1) 57 in 2022
2) 56 in 1996
   56 in 2012
   56 in 2015
5) 55 in 2011

BHO Longest Heat Waves (1885-2022):

1) 9 days, Aug 11-19, 2002
2) 8 days, Aug 10-17, 1944
3) 7 days, Jul 22-28, 2016
4) 6 days, Aug 28 – Sep 2, 1953
   6 days, Jul 24-29, 1963
   6 days, Jul 16-21, 1977
   6 days, Jul 6-11, 1988
   6 days, Jul 16-21, 1991
   6 days, Jul 15-20, 2013
   6 days, Jul 19-24, 2022
   6 days, Aug 4-9, 2022

BHO Highest Summer (Jun-Aug) Number of 90-Degree Days (1885-2022):

1) 22 in 1949
2) 21 in 2002
3) 20 in 1988
4) 18 in 2022
5) 17 in 1997   

BHO Lowest Summer (Jun-Aug) Precipitation, inches (1886-2022):

1) 3.48 in 1949
2) 3.54 in 1957
3) 4.90 in 2016
4) 5.24 in 1965
5) 5.43 in 1964
6) 5.45 in 1997
7) 5.56 in 1993
8) 6.00 in 2022
9) 6.11 in 1894
10) 6.25 in 1907

BHO Highest Summer (Jun-Aug) Sunshine, hours (1886-2022):

1) 919.7 in 1971  [71%]   
2) 888.0 in 2016  [68%]  
3) 876.0 in 1965 [68%] 
4) 864.1 in 2022  [67%]  
5) 863.8 in 1966  [67%]  
6) 862.5 in 2014  [66%]  
7) 861.7 in 1909  [66%]  
8) 861.3 in 1908  [66%]  

Mike Iacono
Chief Scientist
Blue Hill Observatory