SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Summer is going out with a bang in California, as a record heatwave is shattering all-time record high temperatures across the state.
As the Earth continues to warm due to human-caused climate change, extreme temperatures are more likely, specifically on the hot side.
"What we've seen all over the planet is this gradual shifting to more days that are warm and higher and higher extremes the tail end, we're starting to move past that and push it out," said ABC10 meteorologist Rob Carlmark.
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Carlmark used the term "shifting baselines" to describe the warming phenomenon, which is a statistical term used to describe a change away from a previous reference point. In short, the shifting baselines are resulting in a far greater number of record heat days rather than record cold.
Record temperatures are no surprise to California residents. The ongoing record heat wave aided in Sacramento breaking its record for the most 100-degree days in a summer on Wednesday, with 42 days reaching that mark. It surpassed 41 days of triple digit heat in 1988, according to National Weather Service data.
Extreme events, such as the heat wave, have rightfully garnered much attention, but the month to month positive temperature trend is equally worrying, as small shifts in average temperatures will increase the likelihood of severe, pervasive, and irreversible impacts, according to NASA.
"This temperature trend is happening each and every month. Over the last decade, we've seen a gradual increase in the average temperature every single month, and it's likely all the extremes and the daily highs moving up will continue," Carlmark said.
Temperatures in California have risen almost 3°F since the beginning of the 20th century, and the six warmest years on record have all occurred since 2014, according to the National Weather Service.
