July Sets New Record as Warmest Month Ever Across the Contiguous US

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that July averaged 76.9 F, the warmest month on record (1895–present) for the contiguous United States, and 3.3 F about the 20^th century average. Above-average temperatures covered the entire nation, with all states ranking in the warmest third of their July temperature records and none ranking near or below average.

Conversely, Alaska had the coldest July average temperature since 2008, NOAA reported. Talkeetna, Alaska, also recorded its wettest July on record with 10.59 inches of precipitation.

However, multiple parts of Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Montana set record high temperatures on July 12, including 115 F in Miles City, Montana. In late July, extreme overnight heat across the Southwest set record warm minimum temperature of 99 F in Laughlin, Nevada, and tied records in Phoenix of 97 F and Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, of 96 F.

Additionally numerous locations across the Mid-Atlantic observed their warmest July 4 on record, including Raleigh, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland.

As of Aug. 4, NOAA reported that about half (48.5%) of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, up about 0.7% from the end of June. Drought conditions intensified across most of the interior West, Southwest, Rockies and Plains, while decreasing in intensity across parts of the Southeast, Tennessee Valley and Mid-Atlantic. Furthermore, wildfires in eastern Oregon burned over 140,000 acres in July, triggering evacuations and causing regional smoke hazards.