AP finds hot records falling twice as often as cold ones

A new Associated Press data analysis shows that over the past 20 years, Americans have been twice as likely to sweat through record-breaking heat rather than shiver through record-setting cold.

The AP looked at 424 weather stations throughout the Lower 48 states that had consistent data since 1920 and counted how many times daily hot temperature records were tied or broken and how many daily cold records were set.

In a stable climate, those numbers should be roughly equal. But since 1999, the ratio has been two warm records set or broken for every cold one. In 16 of the last 20 years, there have been more daily high temperature records than low.

The AP shared the analysis with several scientists, who said the conclusion shows one effect of human-caused climate change.