NOAA reports hottest U.S. month

NOAA reports hottest U.S. month

NOAA reported that July 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded in the contiguous United States. The Lower 48 averaged 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit, narrowly exceeding the previous benchmark set in July 1936.

The heat was widespread, with multiple locations setting all-time high temperature records. NOAA said its records for the contiguous U.S. date back to 1895, making the July reading the warmest month in the agency’s long-term dataset.

Key Events

  • NOAA reported that July 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded in the contiguous United States.
  • The Lower 48 averaged about 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit, surpassing the previous July 1936 record.
  • The record came during a month of widespread extreme heat across the country.
  • Several locations in western and northern states set all-time high temperature records.
  • The report noted that records in NOAA’s dataset go back to 1895.

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NOAA Records Hottest U.S. Month

NOAA reported that July 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded in the contiguous United States. The Lower 48 averaged 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 3.3 degrees above the 20th-century average and narrowly exceeded the previous July 1936 record.

The report placed the month at the top of the nation’s 132-year temperature record. It also underscored how widespread the heat was across the country, with the extreme temperatures pushing past earlier benchmarks from the Dust Bowl era.

Key Events

  • NOAA released its July climate summary on August 10, 2026.
  • The contiguous United States recorded an average temperature of 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit for July.
  • The reading surpassed the previous record set in July 1936.
  • NOAA said the month was 3.3 degrees above the 20th-century average.
  • The record marked the warmest month in the 132-year temperature archive.