Map: America's Hottest Month Ever, State by State
Data shows last month was not only the warmest July on record but the hottest month of any kind since recordkeeping began in 1895.
A recent map released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reveals that July 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded in the contiguous United States. Data from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) shows that the Lower 48 states averaged 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit during July, surpassing previous records set in July 1936 and July 2012 by roughly one to two tenths of a degree.
The exceptional warmth was part of a summer characterized by repeated heat domes across various regions, intensifying temperatures nationwide. Every state in the contiguous U.S. ranked within the warmest third of its historical July record, with no state experiencing near-average or below-average conditions. Wyoming, in particular, set its warmest July on record and the hottest month of any kind ever observed, with average temperatures 5.1 degrees above normal.
The record-breaking month adds to mounting evidence of how human-induced climate change is making heat waves more intense, frequent, and prolonged, while warmer overnight temperatures are reducing opportunities for relief.
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