US had hottest month on record in July

In July 2026, the contiguous United States experienced its hottest month on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The average temperature for the month was 76.9°F (24.9°C), which is 3.3°F above the 20th-century average and surpasses the previous record set in July 1936. Extreme heat was observed across various regions, including the interior West, Southwest, Rockies, northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and parts of the Gulf Coast and Southeast.

Notably, Wyoming recorded its warmest July and warmest month ever, with temperatures 5.1°F above average. Human-caused climate change, primarily due to fossil fuel burning, played a significant role in this trend, alongside natural factors like El Niño and the Dust Bowl summers of the 1930s. The 2026 heat wave was exacerbated by a heat dome in the northwestern states and record-warm sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific, which influenced where tropical storms formed and affected the jet stream over the western U.S. The hot conditions prompted elevated wildfire risks, particularly in the western United States, where many areas had been experiencing prolonged drought.

Globally, the strengthening El Niño pattern is expected to further amplify temperatures, potentially pushing 2027 into the record books as the warmest year on record.