Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Contiguous US Records Hottest Month Ever, NOAA Says
Last month, the weather in the United States was extremely hot.
In fact, it was the hottest month ever recorded in the lower 48 states.
Scientists at NOAA, a government weather agency, said the average temperature was almost 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
That is even hotter than the famous hot summer of 1936, which happened during the Dust Bowl.
Every single state in the lower 48 was warmer than usual, at least one degree warmer than average.
The nights were especially hot, which makes it harder for people and animals to cool down and rest.
Scientists say this heat is happening because people burn coal, oil, and gas, which warms up our planet.
They say hot nights and heat waves are signs of climate change.
Experts think we need to stop burning so many fossil fuels and get ready for hotter weather in the future.
July was the hottest month ever recorded in the contiguous United States, averaging 76.89 degrees Fahrenheit, NOAA reported.
The record beat the Dust Bowl-era July 1936 by one-eighth of a degree; national records go back to 1895.
Every Lower 48 state was at least 1 degree Fahrenheit warmer than the 20th-century average.
Record nighttime lows, which smashed the previous mark by 0.7 degrees, were the biggest driver of the heat.
Scientists linked the heat to burning coal, oil and gas, while noting 2021 and 1936 still tie for the hottest summer.
- Who
- NOAA scientists, including Russ Vose of NOAA's National Center for Environmental Information, and meteorologist Jeff Masters of Yale Climate Connections
- What
- The contiguous United States recorded its hottest month ever, with an average temperature of 76.89 degrees Fahrenheit
- When
- July 2026, described in the article as last month
- Where
- Contiguous United States (Lower 48 states), with the report released from Kensington, Maryland
- Why
- The burning of coal, oil and gas, which scientists say drives climate change and extreme heat
- Average July temperature
- 76.89°F (24.94°C)
- Previous record broken
- July 1936 (Dust Bowl era), edged out by one-eighth of a degree
- Records date back to
- 1895
- States warmer than average
- All 48 Lower 48 states, each at least 1°F above the 20th-century average
- Biggest driver
- Record nighttime lows, 0.7°F above the old mark
- Most excessive heat
- Mountain West, Southwest, Northern Plains and Southeast
- Hottest summer on record
- 2021 and 1936 (tie); 2026 slightly cooler through July
- Reporting agency
- NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)