(WICHITA, Kan.) — This week Kansas is facing four days of triple
digit weather and it’s only the second week of summer. While
Kansas has a history of long hot summers, the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says 100 plus-degree days
will become more common by the end of the century. NOAA says,
“As greenhouse gas emissions and the planet’s temperature
continue to rise, models project that heat waves will become
more frequent, more severe, and longer-lasting.” Between 1961
and 1979, California, the Southwest and Southwest Plains
experienced temperatures over 100 degrees for enough days to add
up to several weeks during the year. The temperature for the
Great Planes region, which includes Kansas, has increased 1.5
degrees since a 1960-1979 baseline. This year Wichita has seen
the third most days on record for temperatures at or over 100
degrees. The temperature for the Great Planes region is expected
to increase between 2.5 degrees to more than 13 degrees in the
next century compared to the 1