It’s August, and we have fully arrived at the hell’s front porch portion of the D.C. area’s seasonal cycle.
Over the past week or so, thermometers have been clocking in the upper 80s and 90s, but with the humidity adding an extra 10 degrees to every day, the summer heat offers an almost tangible reminder that, despite all the concrete, asphalt and landscaped lawns, Fairfax County is still a wetland at heart.
Like other kinds of extreme weather, heat can be dangerous, contributing to hundreds of deaths per year in the U.S., and climate change will likely push that toll higher.
Absolutely gross humidity right now. Reagan National reporting dew point of 78…awful. It's just 87 but that makes it feel like 100. pic.twitter.com/CiTBd4DWer
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) August 8, 2022
To take your mind off the prospect of hot, muggy days becoming even more of a norm in the future, what’s your go-to method of handling this summer weather? Do you try to escape with a vacation, or are you more apt to seek relief at the nearest swimming pool or ice cream shop?
If you have other tips and secrets for cooling off, feel free to share them below.
Photo via john labelette/Unsplash
