
Many of us won’t be around then, but it’s still scary to think that by 2100 — 83 years from now — the temperature in Austin is expected to sizzle more than ever.
A ranking by Austin-based SpareFoot, which operates an online self-storage platform, puts Austin at No. 5 among U.S. cities projected to swelter under even more extreme heat. Austin is predicted to suffer 79 more days of 100-degree weather by 2100. The average number of 100-plus days in Austin from 2000-2015 was 32.
SpareFoot’s ranking features the 15 big U.S. cities that witnessed the largest population increases from 2015 to 2016. SpareFoot further sorted those cities by two other factors: the Sperling Heat Index and the projected increase in extremely hot days between now and 2100. The final list combines rankings for population gains, the heat index, and the predicted increase in extremely hot days.
Austin isn't the hottest Texas city on the list. San Antonio is No. 2, followed by Dallas at No. 3, Fort Worth at No. 4, and Houston at No. 6. Holding the top spot is Phoenix.
SpareFoot says that as the urban population of the U.S. continues to climb, so too will the mercury in big cities.
“Summers around the world are already warmer than they used to be, and they’re going to get dramatically hotter by century’s end if carbon pollution continues to rise. The problem will be felt most acutely in cities, particularly San Antonio,” SpareFoot says.