The United States Just Recorded Its Hottest Summer

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data show the average temperature from June to August ranked as the hottest summer across the lower 48 states in the 132-year record. That broke the previous records from 1936 and 2021 by 0.4°F. July was the hottest month ever recorded in the Lower 48, and August kept the heat going, averaging 75.6°F, making it the hottest August on record as well. The contiguous United States (CONUS) average daytime high reached 88.6°F, which was also a record. The average August temperature for the CONUS was 3.5 degrees above the 20th-century average, while the average for meteorological summer (June–August) was 74.4°F, which is 3.0 degrees above average.

Cities across the CONUS saw record-high temperatures broken or tied in August. Major cities that tied their record highs included Los Angeles, California, at 96°F on August 21; Reno, Nevada, at 102°F on August 5; and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, at 109°F on August 25.

Several cities broke their record high temperatures this Summer. Las Vegas, Nevada, reached 111°F on August 27, while Miami, Florida, hit 100°F on August 18. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, reached 109°F on August 19; Phoenix, Arizona, soared to 115°F on August 22; and Denver, Colorado, broke its record with a high of 100°F on August 21.

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The high temperatures did not just affect those cities, but states and regions also experiencing above-average temperatures this summer, according to the National Weather Service. California, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado each set records for their warmest August average temperature. California and New Mexico also recorded their warmest average daytime maximum temperatures on record, while average nighttime minimum temperatures were record warm in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado.

Looking ahead, the average temperatures for September are forecasted to be higher for the Southwest, Rockies, Great Lakes, Gulf Coast, and the Southeast. The warmer temperatures this August and summer have caused droughts across portions of the Great Basin, Northwest, Northern Plains, and Upper Midwest, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. This leads to the potential threat of significant wildfires across those regions in September.