NOAA: July was Hottest Month Ever for Lower 48 States

Heat waves that swept across the lower 48 states in the continental US in July broke an unwanted record. They turned those 31 days into the hottest month ever in the nation.

Average temperatures for the month ran 3.3°F above the 20th-century average for July. But it wasn’t just the hottest July. It was hotter than any other month in the contiguous US in 132 years of keeping weather records. That’s according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Temperatures surpassed July records set in 2012. And they passed records set during the Dust Bowl of 1936. That was a natural disaster during the Great Depression. Then, soaring temps triggered a severe drought. It combined with poor farming techniques practiced during the era. The Dust Bowl wiped out farms. It also prompted many people to migrate from the Midwest to California. They were looking for work.

Three heat domes hovered over large swaths of the country last month. They pushed up temps across much of the western US, the Rocky Mountains, the upper Midwestern states, the Gulf Coast, and the Southeast. Wyoming led all states. That state was 5.1°F above average temps. Droughts occurred during this same time. The joint effect increased the chance for many more US wildfires this year, especially in the West.

Alaska is not part of the contiguous US. And it saw cooler temps. It marked its coolest July average since 2008.

What caused such extreme heat for most of the US? Forecasters say climate change is one culprit. They also say a rising El Niño is a second. El Niño is a weather system. The combination threatens to turn 2026 and 2027 into record years for heat.

Reflect: How has the heat this summer changed the way you spend your days?