The relationship between weather and mortality in ten major metropolitan areas in the united states, 1962–1965

Abstract

Daily deaths in ten large cities in the United States were correlated with weather elements for the months of January, April, July, and October of the years 1962–1965. In addition to showing the effects of spells of hot, humid weather and pollution episodes (extreme weather), it was determined that large interdiurnal changes of temperature, dewpoint, and pressure were accompanied by fluctuations in daily mortality. This applies to the northcentral and northeastern United States, where increases in mortality were coincident with prefrontal weather, decreases with postfrontal weather. Total mortality was the cause of death which correlated highest with the weather elements. Deaths over age 70, and under 70, follow in that order. There was little essential difference between arteriosclerotic heart disease and stroke in responsiveness to weather events.