NOAA reports hottest U.S. summer on record with average 74.4°F
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the June-August 2026 period was the warmest summer in U.S. history, with average temperatures of 74.4°F and widespread drought.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report indicating that the United States experienced its warmest summer on record during the June-August period of 2026. Average temperatures across the nation reached 74.4°F, surpassing the previous record set in 1936 and matched in 2021 by 0.4°F. August alone recorded an average temperature of 75.6°F, with daytime highs averaging 88.6°F, the highest monthly daytime average on record.
The report noted that summer temperatures were about 3.5°F above the 20th-century average, while August’s average was roughly 3°F higher. Most of the contiguous United States saw temperatures above normal, with only isolated areas of the Midwest and northern Plains experiencing typical conditions. The western states, the Southwest, the southern Rockies, and the southern Florida Peninsula recorded the most pronounced warmth.
California, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado each posted their highest August temperatures on record, and nighttime lows were also the warmest ever observed in August across large portions of the West. Several southwestern states endured unusually high temperatures throughout the season, and Arizona matched its previous record for the warmest summer.
Precipitation totals for the season were slightly below the 20th-century average, with 8.11 inches of rain recorded nationwide, 0.21 inches less than the historical norm. While some Midwestern states experienced above-average rainfall, the overall deficit was driven by extremely low precipitation in California, which recorded its driest summer since 2002 and its fifth-driest on record. In August, Indiana and Ohio saw record rainfall, whereas Texas and Oklahoma approached record lows.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, drought conditions expanded to cover 59.1% of the country at the start of September, an increase of more than 10% since early August. Drought intensified in the central United States while showing some reduction in parts of the Southwest, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic.