The summer we love is slipping away

Grist staff writers checked in from around the country on how climate change is reshaping the summers they grew up with, and the pattern is the same everywhere: more heat, less predictability. In Tucson, monsoon rains have declined nearly 3 inches since 1970, and afternoon storms that used to arrive like clockwork now feel like a surprise. El Paso logged 45 days at 100 degrees or higher this summer, with heat expected to stretch into September. Mountain towns in Colorado hit near-90-degree days at elevations above 9,000 feet, and Montana's snowpack keeps shrinking, dropping river levels before floating season even starts.

The pattern holds on the coasts and in the middle of the country too. The Bay Area's famous summer fog has dropped 33 percent over the last century, hurting both beach days and the redwoods that depend on it for water. Seattle, once the least air-conditioned big city in the country, has lost that title as smoke and heat force windows shut and air conditioners in. Chicago saw record wildfire smoke from Canada and more than 200 tornadoes this year, a state record.

None of this points to a single upgrade or program, but it's a reminder of why homeowners in more places are looking at cooling and air quality as basic seasonal needs rather than extras. If summers where you live are running hotter, smokier, or just less predictable than they used to be, it may be worth thinking about how your own house holds up.