Researchers Find that the Climate is Changing in Ohio

Residents of Ohio who think that their climate is a bit warmer than normal are right, at least according to the latest research from Ohio State University.

The latest study shows that the nights during the summer are not cooling off to the degree that they used to. They say that this is a sign of climatic warming across the whole state.

The facts are that the average low temperatures during the nighttime in the summer have risen by about 1.7 degrees C, which is equal to 3 degrees F since the 1960's.

But the change cannot be blamed just on the heat. The humidity is playing a big part also, as well as increased cloudiness at night, which prevents the heat of the day from escaping into the atmosphere.

The 3 degree rise in the night time temperatures might not seem like much to most people, especially since the daytime temperatures have remained just about the same, but it is very significant to the scientists. It means that the average daily temperature is inching up ever so slowly and steadily.

The researchers say that this is just what they believe will be the nature of climate change in the area of the mid west around Ohio, with the night time lows rising to the point where eventually there will be very little difference between the day and night temperatures. This is similar to what it temperature does in the big cities where the asphalt streets retain heat and the skyscrapers do not let any of it escape. And this would mean a big change in Ohio, where the temperature of a typical summer night can be 20 degrees cooler than during the day.

The researchers have compiled a history of more than 120 years of the weather data in Ohio and except for a brief time during the Dust Bowl years in the 1930's, when there was a temporary rise in temperatures, the nighttime temperatures have remained basically unchanged. That is until 1965 when they began to rise, and they have been rising ever since.