The contiguous United States averaged 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit in July 2026, making it the warmest month in 132 years of federal recordkeeping, surpassing the previous records set during the Dust Bowl in July 1936 and again in July 2012, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s climate summary released on August 10.
Key Takeaways
- July 2026 averaged 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit across the Lower 48 states, 3.3 degrees above the 20th-century average and the warmest month in NOAA’s 132-year record dating to 1895.
- Overnight low temperatures averaged 64.2 degrees, 3.7 degrees above the 20th-century average, setting the record for the warmest month of overnight minimums and surpassing July 2022 by 0.7 degrees.
- All 48 contiguous states recorded July averages at least 1 degree above their 20th-century baseline, with 13 states ranking among their five warmest Julys on record.
- About 48.5 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in drought as of August 4, up 0.7 percentage points from the end of June, even as flash flooding events struck the Texas Hill Country and eastern New York.
- Globally, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that extra-polar ocean surface temperatures hit their highest July level on record at 20.96 degrees Celsius, driven in part by developing El Niño conditions.
Overnight Temperatures Set a Separate Record, Signaling a Distinct Pattern
The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information reported that while daytime highs averaged 89.5 degrees, ranking as the sixth-warmest month on record for maximum temperatures, the overnight low temperatures told a sharper story. July’s average overnight minimum of 64.2 degrees was 3.7 degrees above the 20th-century average, making it the warmest month on record for nighttime temperatures and exceeding the previous record set in July 2022 by 0.7 degrees.
The gap between the daytime and overnight records is a data point climate scientists have flagged as significant. Elevated nighttime temperatures prevent the human body from recovering from daytime heat exposure, a dynamic that compounds health risks during extended heat waves. NOAA’s temperature calculations average 24 hours of readings rather than isolating daily highs or lows, meaning the nighttime warming contributed meaningfully to the overall record. The previous record holders for the warmest U.S. month, July 1936 and July 2012, were surpassed by 0.1 to 0.2 degrees.
Every State Ranked Warmer Than Normal, With Wyoming Setting Its All-Time Record
Above-average temperatures blanketed the entire contiguous United States during July. No state recorded a monthly average near or below its 20th-century baseline. All 48 states ranked in the warmest third of their respective July temperature records, and 13 states ranked among their five warmest Julys on record. The most concentrated warmth settled over the interior West, Southwest, Rocky Mountain states, northern Plains, and Upper Midwest, with additional pockets across the Gulf Coast and Southeast.
Wyoming recorded its warmest July and warmest month on record, with temperatures averaging 5.1 degrees above the 20th-century average and exceeding the state’s prior July record from 2007 by 0.9 degrees. Several locations in Idaho, Utah, and Montana also registered all-time high temperature records for the month. A heat wave that began in early July placed more than 185 million people under heat alerts at its peak, spanning major metropolitan areas including New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. All-time temperature records were broken more than 200 times at weather stations scattered across the Lower 48.
July Rainfall Fell Below Average Nationally, but Flash Flooding Hit Texas and New York
Total precipitation across the contiguous U.S. in July averaged 2.55 inches, 0.23 inches below the 20th-century average and ranking in the driest third of the 132-year record. The dry conditions contributed to an expansion of drought coverage, which stood at 48.5 percent of the contiguous U.S. as of the August 4 Drought Monitor, up 0.7 percentage points from the end of June. Drought persisted across much of the interior West, Southwest, and Rockies, and expanded into parts of the Northwest, southern and northern Plains, and Upper Midwest.
Despite the overall dryness, two significant flash flooding events punctuated the month. Intense rainfall struck the Texas Hill Country from July 13 through 17, producing totals exceeding 28 inches near the town of Knippa in Uvalde County. Later, from July 28 through 30, slow-moving thunderstorms dumped nearly 12 inches of rain over eastern New York, triggering major flash flooding. The simultaneous presence of drought and extreme precipitation across different regions of the country illustrates the increasing variability that has defined recent climate patterns.
Global Ocean Temperatures Also Set a July Record, Fueled by Developing El Niño Conditions
The U.S. record did not occur in isolation. The Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union’s climate monitoring agency, reported that global sea surface temperatures across the extra-polar oceans reached 20.96 degrees Celsius in July, surpassing the previous July record of 20.89 degrees Celsius set in 2023. The elevated ocean temperatures are being driven in part by El Niño conditions developing in the equatorial Pacific, with forecasts projecting further strengthening in the coming months.
Globally, July 2026 tied with July 2024 as the joint second-warmest July on record, with an average surface air temperature of 16.90 degrees Celsius, 0.67 degrees above the 1991 to 2020 average and 1.47 degrees above the estimated pre-industrial baseline. The global reading fell just short of the all-time July record of 16.95 degrees Celsius set in July 2023. Western Europe experienced its warmest combined June and July period on record, with average temperatures reaching 21.62 degrees Celsius and persistent high-pressure systems trapping heat across the region. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has projected continued above-average temperatures for most of the continental U.S. through August, and several climate agencies have noted that 2026 remains on track to challenge 2024 as the warmest year in the global record.
FAQs
How Does July 2026 Compare to the Dust Bowl Record?
July 2026 surpassed the previous U.S. record held by July 1936, the Dust Bowl era benchmark, by 0.1 to 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit. It also exceeded July 2012, which had tied 1936 as the previous co-record holder. NOAA’s records date to 1895.
Why Do Overnight Temperatures Matter for Public Health?
When nighttime temperatures remain elevated, the human body cannot fully cool down from daytime heat exposure. July 2026’s overnight low temperatures averaged 64.2 degrees, 3.7 degrees above the 20th-century average, setting a separate record for the warmest nighttime temperatures in any month on record. Studies have linked rising overnight temperatures to increased mortality and sleep disruption during heat waves.
Is 2026 on Track to Be the Hottest Year Globally?
Multiple climate agencies, including NOAA and the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, have noted that 2026 remains in contention to challenge 2024 as the warmest year in the global record. Developing El Niño conditions in the Pacific and record-high ocean surface temperatures are contributing factors. NOAA’s year-to-date U.S. average currently ranks as the second warmest, behind 2012.
