July was hottest month on record in contiguous US: NOAA

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July 2026 was the hottest month on record in the contiguous United States, with an average temperature surpassing previous records from 1936 and 2012, according to NOAA. The continued trend of heightened temperatures highlights ongoing climate change impacts across the mainland.

July marked the hottest month on record in the contiguous U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  Temperatures in the mainland 48 states and Washington, D.C., averaged 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit. That was roughly 0.1 to 0.2 degrees hotter than July 1936 and July 2012, according to the NOAA, which has records dating…