If you thought July was hot or wet, you were right. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S.’s average temperature in July was the fourth-warmest recorded since temperature data began to be kept in 1895. On average, the country’s temperature was 77 degrees, almost 3 degrees warmer than normal. Oklahoma at 88.9 degrees and Texas at 87.1 had their hottest July ever. Oklahoma’s average temperature was the hottest ever recorded for any state for any month. More than 85% of the continental states beat the long-term average.
The extreme July heat made the drought conditions prevailing in the South even more severe, especially in Oklahoma and Texas, which are both experiencing exceptional drought.
In contrast, the upper Midwest, the Gulf, and the Pacific Coast were wetter than usual this July. GR
