Are summers getting hotter in Knoxville? It sure feels like it | Know Your Knox

Devarrick Turner, Knoxville News Sentinel
Updated ·4 min read
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Perhaps you've noticed that this summer has been kind of hot. OK, very hot.

Knoxville routinely is a little cooler than the record-high temperatures other parts of the state and the country have seen, but our days of sizzling summer heat are not over.

Is this our new normal?

Another heat wave is forecast to sweep over Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley this week, bringing above-normal highs. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-90s and peaking at 96 degrees late in the week.

Heat waves across the country this summer have resulted in temperatures soaring well over 110 degrees in some states. More than 110 million Americans were under some sort of heat alert at one point in July, USA TODAY reported.

Earth even had its hottest day on record when the global average reached 63 degrees in July, surpassing the previous 62.9 record, according to data from the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer.

Unlike some harder-hit regions, the Knoxville area had a peak of 94 degrees in July, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data. But if you thought it felt hotter than that, you’d be correct.

Heat indexes (or the “feels like” temperature when humidity is factored in) have reached the high 90s and low 100s locally multiple times this summer, according to the National Weather Service Morristown office. Some areas of the Tennessee Valley even experienced heat indexes reaching over 105 degrees.

Scientists say the planet is the hottest it has been in roughly 125,000 years. What does that mean for Knoxville specifically? How hot does it typically get here? And should we expect our summer fun to be melted by unbearable heat for years to come?

How well do you Know Your Knox? We answer the questions you really want to know

How hot does Knoxville get?

  • Temperatures at or above 90 degrees during the summer months (June-August) are normal for Knoxville, according to the NWS Morristown office.

  • From 1991 to 2020, the average number of summer days in Knoxville with a temperature of 90 degrees or greater was 34. This summer, between June 1 and Aug. 20, we have had 10 days at or above 90 degrees.

  • High temperatures normally range from 83 to 89 degrees during the summer months. July is our hottest month with an average high at 88.4 degrees. The average high temperature for the entire year is 70.8 degrees.

  • The highest temperature on record in Knoxville is 105 degrees, set on July 1, 2012.

Historical Weather Records: Search weather data for any county in the United States back to 1895

Are scorching hot summer temperatures here to stay?

Be prepared to have water bottles filled with ice cubes and handheld cooling fans on standby in the coming years. Summers hotter than they historically have been in Knoxville are likely to become the norm.

The risk of “intense heat waves” and “exceptionally hot” summers in the Knoxville area is steadily increasing, climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon told Knox News.

“Summertime temperatures have been climbing over the past several decades in Knoxville, maxima at the rate of 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit per decade and minima at the rate of 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit per decade,” Nielsen-Gammon said.

“On average, this is faster than the rate of increase of global temperatures, and that trend is expected to continue according to climate models,” he continued.

However, East Tennessee is expected to remain slightly cooler than West and Middle Tennessee, which saw temperatures around 110 degrees back in July.

“The altitude makes the normal maximum and minimum temperatures in the summer a bit cooler in Knoxville than in lower-altitude cities such as Nashville and Memphis,” Nielsen-Gammon explained.

Stay safe in excessive heat

Heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States, resulting in hundreds of fatalities each year, according to the National Weather Service. Everyone is vulnerable to heat-related illness, but young children and older adults are especially high-risk.

During heat waves, the National Weather Service advises to drink plenty of water, avoid strenuous activity, wear lightweight clothing, use air conditioners and fans and check on older and sick people. And never leave kids or pets in hot vehicles.

More information about heat safety is available at weather.gov/safety/heat.

Fun ways to beat the heat

There are a few fun and sweet ways to stay at least a little cooler in Knoxville. You can take a dip in a quarry or a pool, try a unique milkshake or indulge in another ice cream treat from a local spot. Knoxville's Regal, Central and Halls cinemas also offer a cool retreat in case you still haven't seen “Barbie” or “Oppenheimer.”

Know Your Knox answers your burning questions about life in Knoxville. Want your question answered? Email knowyourknox@knoxnews.com.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville weather: How hot does it get in Knoxville during the summer?