Is Memphis, TN hotter than FL in summer?

[Subtropical-is-temperate3]

I’ve noticed Memphis is the hottest major city of Tennessee, and I’ve seen summer highs getting over 100°F easily and highest heat indexes of TN. The July averages it averages more than Tallahassee and the whole summer season around the same. The average of Tampa is higher because it has higher nighttime lows but only by 3 degrees, and being around 1°F warmer at day it averages 1 degree less. However Tampa never experienced 100°F or heat index above 120°F, while Memphis does at least once a year. Orlando has similar averages like Memphis(slightly warmer), but it rarely reaches 100°F.

[Space_League]

I ran the numbers again for the past six years (2018-2023)

For the 35c / 95f cutoff:



City Name: Lakeland
603 days over 35 degrees heat index.
100 days per year.

City Name: Orlando
709 days over 35 degrees heat index.
118 days per year.

City Name: Miami
810 days over 35 degrees heat index.
135 days per year.

City Name: Memphis
466 days over 35 degrees heat index.
77 days per year.

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For 38c / 100f cutoff




City Name: Lakeland
209 days over 38 degrees heat index.
34 days per year.

City Name: Orlando
325 days over 38 degrees heat index.
54 days per year.

City Name: Miami
372 days over 38 degrees heat index.
62 days per year.

City Name: Memphis
224 days over 38 degrees heat index.
37 days per year.

--------------------------------------------------

For 41c / 106f cutoff




City Name: Lakeland
11 days over 41 degrees heat index.
1 days per year.

City Name: Orlando
53 days over 41 degrees heat index.
8 days per year.

City Name: Miami
70 days over 41 degrees heat index.
11 days per year.

City Name: Memphis
64 days over 41 degrees heat index.
10 days per year.


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Overall I would say Memphis gets occasional extreme heat indexes more often than most of FL (Gulf Coast Places probably beat it though and Miami can compare with it) but of course Florida's day in and day out summers are typically hotter

[LKJ1988]

Not a chance where i live with little rain and dews over 80f and lows of 78 to 84f for months. They can get hotter highs but don't do 6 months of dry pure hell like i do,

[hunters1212]

In the peak of summer Memphis has many hotter days than anything you would typically see in Florida. Fl has a much longer summer, and still what could could be considered hot weather outside of summer, so it's hard to say.

[Space_League]

Originally Posted by hunters1212

In the peak of summer Memphis has many hotter days than anything you would typically see in Florida. Fl has a much longer summer, and still what could could be considered hot weather outside of summer, so it's hard to say.

That's just not true. Once you factor in the humidity, Memphis had one day in 6 years that was hotter than anything you would typically see in Florida.

Memphis only has ~10 days per year with a heat index over 41c - which is similar to many places in Florida

[Subtropical-is-temperate3]

Originally Posted by Space_League

That's just not true. Once you factor in the humidity, Memphis had one day in 6 years that was hotter than anything you would typically see in Florida.

Memphis only has ~10 days per year with a heat index over 41c - which is similar to many places in Florida

But in tthe at least 1 exceeds 50°C heat index, where does Florida do that? Btw I do agree Memphis does similarly to some places. Lets think of Shreveport, LA which I think has like the worst than any of these places mentioned.

[Pincho-toot]

What makes FL so hot isn't the daytime temp but the overnight temp. Memphis average summer lows are in the lower 70s. In much of Florida, nighttime lows stay in the upper 70s to even low 80s. In the northern half of FL it starts to approach Memphis like summer lows, but southern FL stays tropical all night

[b29510]

fla hot but we haves breezes off the gulf. memphis is just stale no breeze hot

[steveklein]

if we are talking about the high end heat... like, what you can expect during heat waves during the summer months, yes, memphis is hotter than anywhere in florida. but for an april to october average, everywhere in florida is warmer than memphis.

[Space_League]

Originally Posted by Subtropical-is-temperate3

But in tthe at least 1 exceeds 50°C heat index, where does Florida do that? Btw I do agree Memphis does similarly to some places. Lets think of Shreveport, LA which I think has like the worst than any of these places mentioned.

Yea Tampa has hit that at some stations as well last summer. I don't think once-a-decade type heat event should be used to compare the two for summer overall. In that case Tampa and Shreveport both are more consistently hot compared to Memphis. Shreveport is hotter than most places in Florida in the summer too.




City Name: Shreveport
156 days over 41 degrees heat index.
26 days per year.

City Name: Miami
70 days over 41 degrees heat index.
11 days per year.

City Name: Tampa
177 days over 41 degrees heat index.
29 days per year.

City Name: Memphis
64 days over 41 degrees heat index.
10 days per year.