July 2026 — Hottest Month on Record for the Contiguous United States
July 2026 averaged 76.9F across the contiguous US — the hottest month in NOAA's 132-year record, edging July 1936 and 2012 — with record-warm overnight lows averaging 64.2F.
How the record was set
The contiguous US averaged 76.9F in July 2026, topping a 132-year record book in which July 1936 and July 2012 had long stood as the hottest months. Much-above-average heat blanketed the interior West, Rockies, northern Plains, and Upper Midwest, along with parts of the Gulf Coast and Southeast.[1][2][3]
The record was built as much at night as by day: average lows of 64.2F ran 3.7F above normal, the warmest monthly minimum on record. A July 12 heat spike rewrote all-time station records across four Mountain West states, and the accumulated heat and dryness fed an already severe wildfire season.[1][2][3]
Verified facts
Cross-checked against 2+ independent sourcesThis section contains facts cross-checked against multiple sources.
July 2026 averaged 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit across the contiguous United States, the warmest month of any kind in NOAA's record dating to 1895 (a 132-year series).[1][2][3][4][5] 5 sources
The month edged out the previous benchmarks, July 1936 and July 2012, by roughly 0.1 to 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit.[1][2][3] 3 sources
Average overnight minimum temperatures were 64.2 degrees Fahrenheit — 3.7 degrees above average — the warmest on record for monthly average lows, surpassing July 2022 by 0.7 degrees.[1][2] 2 sources
Above-average warmth covered the entire contiguous US: every state ranked in the warmest third of its July record, and none were near or below average.[1][2] 2 sources
Multiple sites across Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana set all-time high temperature records on July 12, including 109F in Salt Lake City, 111F in Billings, and 115F in Miles City, Montana.[1][3] 2 sources
Timeline
Outcome
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 08/23/2026, 01:30
- Tokens
- 8,000
- Sources
- 5 sources adopted
- Model
- claude-opus-5 (review pass)
- Time
- 08/23/2026, 01:30
- Tokens
- 3,000
- Verdict
- Passed
| 08/23/2026, 01:30 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 08/23/2026 | First authored | Updated |
Frequently asked
Was July 2026 hotter than the Dust Bowl summers?
Yes, narrowly. It beat July 1936 — the Dust Bowl benchmark — and July 2012 by about 0.1-0.2F on the contiguous-US average, making it the warmest month in records going back to 1895.
What made this July unusual beyond the average?
The warmth was universal and nocturnal: every state ranked in the warmest third of its July history, and overnight lows averaged a record 64.2F, which matters for health because hot nights prevent recovery from daytime heat.
Does one record month prove a climate trend?
A single month is weather, but NOAA notes record and near-record months have clustered in recent decades, consistent with long-term warming of the US climate.
Official links
Sources
- [1] Assessing the U.S. Temperature and Precipitation in July 2026 primary
- [2] NOAA says contiguous U.S. set record in July for hottest month ever
- [3] Contiguous U.S. breaks its record for hottest month ever, NOAA says
- [4] July 2026 was hottest U.S. month on record
- [5] July was hottest month on record in contiguous US: NOAA