Our Smoky, Sweaty, Itchy, No-Escape, Very Long Summer

This past summer felt different from summers of the past. Across the United States, people dealt with record-breaking heat, wildfire smoke, disease-carrying ticks, and lakes too full of algae to swim in. Climate change is making extreme weather more common and more intense, and this summer showed just how much that can affect everyday life. From day camps in New Jersey to beaches in Florida, few places were spared.

July was the hottest month ever recorded in the lower 48 states, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The average temperature was 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit — 3.3 degrees above the 20th-century average. Even small increases in average temperature can cause big problems for people, animals, and communities.

Day camps felt the heat in a major way. At Liberty Lake Day Camp in Bordentown, New Jersey, director Andy Pritikin changed outdoor activities when temperatures neared or topped 100 degrees. Instead of full basketball games, kids just practiced free throws, and water breaks became more important than the games themselves. 'Fourth of July week was insanely hot the whole week,' Pritikin said. 'It felt like the hottest week I'd ever had at camp.'

Warmer weather is helping disease-carrying insects spread into new areas. Ticks, mosquitoes, and tiny biting bugs called chiggers all had a bigger presence this summer than usual. Milder winters mean fewer of these pests freeze and die, so their populations keep growing year after year.

Rachel Parker lives on a 24-acre property in southern Delaware and chose it partly for its hiking trails. But after one early hike this summer, she found three deer ticks on her 7-year-old son and a lone star tick on herself. Deer ticks can carry Lyme disease, and lone star ticks can cause a serious allergic reaction to red meat. 'We haven't gone hiking since then,' Parker said.

Wildfires burning in the western United States and Canada sent thick smoke drifting across much of the country this summer. The smoke turned skies orange and forced people to stay indoors for days at a time. In July, outdoor restaurants in Cleveland closed, and in August, libraries and coffee shops in parts of Oregon shut down too.

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota — a popular paddling destination — was temporarily closed because of the smoke. The U.S. Forest Service warned that even healthy adults could have trouble breathing when smoke levels are high. People with heart or lung conditions were at even greater risk.

Hot temperatures also made the water dangerous. Lakes across the country were closed because of harmful algae blooms, which happen when water stays warm long enough for certain algae to grow out of control. In Florida, ocean temperatures reached about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and a dangerous flesh-eating bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus killed several people in warm coastal waters this summer.

Climate change is also making rainstorms stronger and more unpredictable. Flash floods hit communities from Colorado to Vermont, and one July storm caused destruction from Ohio to New York City. Liberty Lake Day Camp even faced tornado warnings this summer, though its upgraded heavy-duty tents survived the high winds.

At the end of summer, Camp Yomi held its annual staff dinner with the theme 'Wild Weather.' Counselors reflected on a season full of heat, smoke, and storms. Camp director Lauren Wexler said the constant challenges actually made her staff better prepared. 'They were trained so well because we had something every week,' she said. 'It was seamless because we did it so, so many times.'