NOAA data show July was the hottest month on record for the contiguous U.S.,
with the lower 48 averaging 3.3°F above 20th-century levels. A prolonged,
intense heat dome drove record monthly highs from the East Coast through the
Great Plains and the Southwest; July’s nationwide average was roughly 0.1–0.2°F
higher than previous record months in July 1936 and July 2012.
