I thought it was just me. Turns out, Charlotte is roasting.
June felt hot. July didn't let up. And by the time I started sweating through my shirt just walking to get coffee on South Boulevard, I decided to check the data. Short version? You're not imagining it: summer 2025 is on track to be one of Charlotte's hottest in a decade.
According to NOAA, our average daily temperature this summer has hovered around 81°F—more than 2 degrees hotter than the typical summer average. If that sounds small, it's not. In climate terms, it's a chasm. For reference, the summer of 2016 previously held the record at ~81.3°F. This year's about to give it a sweaty run for its money.
We've already racked up 33 days at or above 90°F, and we haven't even hit August. Compare that to all of 2023 (49 days total), and it's clear we're sprinting toward the top of the heat leaderboard.
Also worth noting: overnight lows this year aren't giving us much relief. A record-breaking low of 79°F on June 25 shattered our chances for post-sunset recovery. NOAA's daily reports back this up.
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Skip the weather complaints. Start a conversation. Glory Days Apparel: Because sweating in style is still style.
Why It Matters to Charlotte
Extreme heat isn't just uncomfortable. It stresses our grid, strains our water system, and raises serious health concerns—especially for people who work outdoors or lack air conditioning. When nighttime lows hover in the mid-70s, our bodies get less recovery time.
More troubling: this isn't an outlier. According to NOAA climate trend reports, summers like this are becoming more common. In fact, Charlotte has steadily added more 90-degree days to its calendar each decade since the 1970s.
That's not just trivia. It's policy. When city planning, housing, and public health departments review future infrastructure, this kind of heat must be accounted for.
Quick Hits
- 2025's summer average temp so far: ~81°F
- Days ≥90°F so far: 33 and counting
- Highest temp so far: 100°F on June 25
- Warmest low: 79°F (same day)
- Comparative cooler summer: 2017 averaged ~78.4°F
- All-time record summer: 1954 holds 88 days at or above 90°F
See You Next Time
This has been your sweat-soaked, heat-index-breaking dispatch from the Queen City. If you're feeling cooked, you're not alone. Just don't expect it to cool off anytime soon—August isn't known for its subtlety.
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About the Author
Jack Beckett is the senior writer for The Charlotte Mercury and drinks coffee like it's a form of municipal service. If he sweats while sipping his cortado at South Boulevard's Einstein Bros. Bagels, he still finishes it.
Explore more stories at cltmercury.com and check out our latest obsessions in News, Housing, Business, and our year-long campaign trail romp Poll Dance 2025.
Creative Commons License
© 2025 Strolling Ballantyne / The Charlotte Mercury
This article, "Summer 2025 Is Officially One of Charlotte's Hottest Summers Yet," by Jack Beckett is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.
"Summer 2025 Is Officially One of Charlotte's Hottest Summers Yet"
by Jack Beckett, The Charlotte Mercury (CC BY-ND 4.0)