Those who deny or dismiss U.S. climate change have hit a Waterloo moment of sorts. The nation just experienced its hottest month in more than 130 years of analysis, which breaks a record that had stood since the infamous Dust Bowl of the 1930s. For the 48 contiguous states, the July 2026 average of 76.89 degrees Fahrenheit (24.94 degrees Celsius) came in 0.12°F (0.07°C) above the value from July 1936. This makes last month the hottest calendar month in national data going back to January 1895.
Remarkably, the contiguous U.S. average temperature was also the hottest on record for the past six months (February-July 2026), and for the past 12-, 18-, 24-, 36-, 48-, and 60-month periods, as depicted in the Climate at a Glance plotting tool from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. The year to date (January-July) is the second-hottest on record nationally.
The sheer breadth of the 48-state heat for July was especially shocking. Only one U.S. state, Wyoming, had its hottest July on record, but nine other states had a top-10 hottest July, and every one of the contiguous states was warmer than average. Though not included in the contiguous U.S. report, Alaska had its 20th-coldest July on record and its 30th-coldest January-to-July period.
