How 2023's Summer Heat and Rainfall Stack Up in Toledo

As summer fades, Toledoans are left with memories of an unusual season filled with intense heat and heavy rain. Fall brings cooler weather, shorter days, and brilliant colors, but it's worth taking a look back at what the summer of 2023 brought to our city and the world.

WTOL 11 Meteorologist John Burchfield recaps the summer's weather patterns. June opened with a burst of warmth, hitting 92 degrees on the first two days. But, the rest of the month settled into cooler-than-normal temperatures with an average high of 82 degrees, two degrees below the norm. June also saw a dry spell, recording just 2.3 inches of rain, which is notably 1.16 inches beneath the average.

July turned the tables with significant rainfall. The month witnessed 5.8 inches of rain—almost two and a half inches above average. Despite the rain, temperatures remained around normal, averaging a high of 85 degrees. July is typically the hottest month, but this year, it was defined by its wet conditions.

August played host to summer's peak heat, reaching 93 degrees on August 23. Overall, however, the month was cooler than usual and ended with healthy rain totals of 3.8 inches. In summary, summer 2023 in Toledo was both cooler and wetter than average, with temperatures 1.54 degrees below normal and total rainfall nearly a foot—an impressive 11.83 inches.

The significant rain this summer can be attributed to the jet stream weather pattern. Yet, there's no denying the influence of climate change, making downpours and slow-moving storms more common by pumping the atmosphere with more moisture.

Globally, the picture was much different. According to NASA, the summer of 2023 was the hottest ever recorded, surpassing previous records by 0.4 degrees. On average, the global summer temperature was 2.1 degrees hotter than what was customary between 1951 and 1980. This temperature spike underscores the escalating impact of climate change.

Looking ahead, forecasts predict a return of warmer-than-average conditions as October advances. Expect mild weather and ample sunshine. Toledo's 10-day forecast includes temperatures climbing into the 70s this weekend, zooming to the mid-80s by the next week.

As we transition to autumn, the meteorological rollercoaster continues. Stay tuned to WTOL 11 for the latest updates and subscribe to our new Climate Friday Newsletter for a weekly roundup of weather stories.