Hottest Summer on Record for the U.S., NOAA Confirms
The United States has experienced its hottest summer on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The average temperature for the meteorological summer (June–August) of 2026 was the warmest in the 132-year record, surpassing previous records set in 1936 and 2021 by 0.4°F. July 2026 was particularly notable, with an average temperature of 76.9°F (24.9°C), which was 3.3°F above the 20th-century average. This made it not only the warmest July but also the warmest month ever recorded in the contiguous United States. Extreme heat waves were reported across the country, with temperatures reaching as high as 116°F (46.7°C) in Montana and over 1,000 daily heat records broken in the Southwest and Rockies. Events such as parades and fireworks were canceled in parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and the Mid-Atlantic due to the dangerous heat levels.
