With cities across the United States experiencing some of the hottest summer temperatures on record, many people have traveled to places like Steamboat Springs in hopes of escaping the heat back home.
Although it still experiences its own warm temperatures, Steamboat has been a welcome change for people coming from places like Florida. For Bonnie Pinto, a first-time visit to Steamboat has been a relief “because the mornings are so cool and the nights are cooler.”
Florida has been seeing highs in the 90s for most of July, with the heat only made worse by Florida’s high humidity. According to the National Weather Service, a dew point above 65 is where the air starts to feel “oppressive” due to humidity. The dew point recorded July 22 in Orlando was 75, adding to the impact of the 94-degree heat.
In contrast, Steamboat recorded a dew point of 38 on the same day, well below the National Weather Service’s threshold for “dry and comfortable weather,” while the high was only 83 degrees.
Floridians aren’t the only ones coming to Routt County to escape the oppressive heat and humidity, either. Vicky Buster and Naomi Smith, both of Macon, Missouri, expressed how nice it was to get away from the humidity.
“It’s not that catchy,” Buster said of Steamboat Springs.
Another visitor from Missouri said the area south of Kansas City was in a drought and had experienced temperatures in the 90s.
In terms of the type of activities people participated in, many mentioned the outdoor activities that Steamboat is so well known for, such as hiking to Fish Creek Falls and the Flattops, scenic mountain walks, and exploring downtown. Both Buster and Smith said the town is “beautiful” and a nice vacation spot with friendly locals.
Tubing on the Yampa River offers Steamboat Springs visitors and locals a chance to cool off on Saturday, July 22, 2023. Cities across the United States and around the world have been experiencing record temperatures this summer. Sydney Martin/Steamboat Pilot & Today
Unfortunately, the high heat affecting much of the country does not seem to be letting up.
The Associated Press reported that Phoenix has set a record temperature streak after spending 19 days with temperatures of 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat wave has not been isolated to the US either, with some cities in Europe forced to close popular tourist attractions and businesses in China ordered to stop outdoor work due to sweltering temperatures.
Several scientific groups have called this summer one of the hottest on record, and the World Meteorological Organization has named the week of July 4th the hottest week in the world.
The causes have been identified as a mix of human-made climate change and the natural El Nino cycle, which causes temporary warming in the Pacific and can alter temperatures on a global scale.
For Steamboat, temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-80s, with a few isolated days expected to reach the 80s. In Routt County, the high temperatures have had an effect primarily on the Yampa River, as well as increasing fire risk after a wet spring delayed vegetation drying.
Customers make selections from products offered by Roots on the Range at the farmers market Saturday, July 22, 2023, in Steamboat Springs. Eli Pace/Steamboat Pilot & Today
Better Half, a husband-and-wife duo Chris Koebnick and Deanna Webb, play for the crowd under the shade of a tent at the Main Street Steamboat Farmers Market on Saturday, July 22, 2023. Eli Pace/Steamboat Pilot & Today
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