Burlington hits 90 degrees for the first time in 2020: Heat wave up next?

Summer hit Burlington earlier than expected. 

The city sat at an unusual 91 degrees Tuesday evening. This goes against the grain for May: The average high for the month is slightly above 67 degrees, according to Weather Atlas. The highest recorded temperature for the month happened in 1977 at 93 degrees.

This is the first time the city hit 90 degrees in 2020, close to 3 p.m. The low Tuesday is expected to drop down to about 69 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

But the temperature will go back up Wednesday.

Heat wave on the horizon for Burlington? 

The city should expect a high close to 93 degrees Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Burlington can also expect showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. 

Again, the low will drop to 69 degrees. The temperature will rise Thursday, but only reach into the 80-degree range, according to the forecast.  

So is this a heat wave yet? Close, but not exactly. 

A tweet from the weather service in 2019 indicated the Northeast usually follows the three-day rule: This means Burlington needs to hit 90 degrees (or higher) for at least three days straight before it can claim the "heat wave" title. 

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So you're safe for this month, but a few behaviors to practice when it gets hot this summer include drinking enough water, protecting yourself with sunscreen and wearing light clothes.

Contact Maleeha Syed at mzsyed@freepressmedia.com or 802-495-6595. Follow her on Twitter @MaleehaSyed89. 

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