Feel like summers are hotter than they used to be? It's not just your imagination. Climate researchers say that average annual temperatures around the country have been trending upwards for the past 50 years — and are still on the rise.

But it can be hard to represent those numbers in a way that makes sense to everyday people. Data, graphs and line charts can only go so far. So Gulf States Newsroom reporter and New Orleans resident Drew Hawkins wondered: What if he could help people hear those changes for themselves? Turn temperatures into tunes?

This episode is part of Nature Quest , a monthly Short Wave segment that answers listener questions about their local environment.

Got a question about changes in your local environment? Send a voice memo to shortwave@npr.org w

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