While cool temperatures cover much of the state now, 2015 was the warmest year on record when it comes to average daily low temperatures. And don’t expect overnight lows to cool off anytime soon.
Dating to 1895 when the state began recording temperatures, the 2015 average overnight lows tied the highest for the Phoenix area and set the record for the state. And this shouldn’t be a surprise said Mark O’Malley, a climate specialist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix.
“We’ve seen over the past 20 years the low temperatures warmer than they’ve ever been before," said O’Malley.
O'Malley said even with recent weather anomalies, the warming should continue.
“There’s no indication this trend is going to change throughout the rest of this year," he said. "It’s a manifestation of the warming of the global climate, and locally the urbanization of the Phoenix area.”
O’Malley notes possible consequences of warmer lows will be increased costs of cooling houses and heightened stress on plants and animals dependent on cooler night temperatures.
Click the chart to see the interactive version.
