July was the hottest month on record in the United States since measurements began in 1895

July was the hottest month ever recorded across the United States, according to data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

NOAA finds July topped the records that begin in 1895

NOAA’s national analysis shows the average temperature for July across the 48 contiguous states was 3.3 degrees higher than the 20th‑century average. That value exceeds the readings from July 1936 and July 2012 by roughly 0.1 to 0.2 degrees, making this July the new high-water mark in a data series that dates back to 1895.

The month was dominated by prolonged and intense "heat domes" that drove extreme temperatures from the East Coast through the Great Plains and into the Southwest. Late in the month, large wildfires burned in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and in Canada, mirroring extreme heat and fires seen across Europe during the same period.

Across the country, more than 600 monthly records for high maximum and minimum temperatures were set in July, while fewer than 50 monthly records for low temperatures were recorded. In an unperturbed climate the counts of high and low monthly records would be roughly balanced; NOAA emphasized that burning fossil fuels and resulting climate change have altered that pattern.

Some cities experienced their warmest July on record, including Denver and Salt Lake City, with the Intermountain West showing the largest upward departures from average. Many other population centers — from Miami and Los Angeles to Minneapolis — ranked this July among their five warmest on record. NOAA also noted that no U.S. state had an average or below-average temperature for the month.

Longer-term trends and natural drivers both play a role: Climate Central reports that July temperatures have risen on average by 2.6 degrees in 229 U.S. cities since 1970, with the fastest warming in Pacific Northwest and Southwest cities. The rapidly strengthening El Niño in the tropical Pacific is contributing to higher global ocean and air temperatures and may have nudged U.S. averages upward in July, but studies indicate that the individual heat waves that struck the country were more closely tied to human-driven climate change and natural variability than to El Niño alone. The Copernicus Climate Change Service has likewise reported exceptionally hot conditions in Western Europe during the first two months of this summer.

Photo: press material from the event