Record-Breaking Summer Heat: 2024's Hottest Temperatures Across The U.S.

Multiple locations across the U.S. saw record-breaking temperatures this summer as heat waves blanketed the country. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration maps reveal that several cities and states across the Southwest, Southeast, East Coast, and Northeast had their hottest summers on record between June and August. These sweltering temperatures resulted in the U.S. as a whole seeing its fourth-hottest summer ever.

Between June and August, cities like Phoenix averaged 98.9 degrees Fahrenheit, while Fort Lauderdale, Florida, recorded an average of 84.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Other notable temperatures included Grand Junction, Colorado, at 80.1 degrees Fahrenheit and Dulles, Virginia, at 78.1 degrees Fahrenheit. Even regions known for cooler climates, like Hartford, Connecticut, and Caribou, Maine, experienced unusually high averages of 75.5 degrees Fahrenheit and 67.3 degrees Fahrenheit respectively.

According to the NOAA, the average temperature for the contiguous U.S. reached 73.8 degrees Fahrenheit during meteorological summer, which is 2.5 degrees above average. This rise in temperature marks the fourth-hottest summer on record. States like Arizona, California, Florida, Maine, and New Hampshire experienced their warmest summers ever recorded, highlighting the extreme nature of this year's heat.

In addition to record temperatures, several climate anomalies were reported across the U.S. A record high of 89 degrees Fahrenheit was documented at Deadhorse Airport in Alaska. Additionally, parts of West Virginia and Ohio faced "exceptional" drought conditions for the first time in U.S. Drought Monitor history. Severe storms rocked Michigan, while Hurricanes Hone and Debby impacted Hawaii and the Southeast, respectively. Interestingly, Palisades Tahoe in California saw its first August snowfall since 2004.

Across the Northern Hemisphere, 2024 is officially noted as the hottest summer on record with temperatures averaging 2.74 degrees Fahrenheit above average. Meanwhile, the Southern Hemisphere also recorded the warmest winter on record at 1.73 degrees Fahrenheit above average.

Furthermore, the average temperature in the U.S. between January and August was an astounding 3 degrees Fahrenheit above average, at 56.9 degrees Fahrenheit. This marks the second-warmest year-to-date average on record. Notably, temperature records were shattered in New Hampshire, Vermont, and West Virginia during this period.

In August, the U.S. experienced its 15th warmest month on record, tying with August 1998 at an average of 74 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit above the monthly average. Florida recorded its second-warmest August since records began, while New Mexico and Texas each had their third-warmest August. As Dr. Friederike Otto from the Grantham Institute for Climate Change stated, “There’s now so much evidence pointing to the fact that our climate is warming.”

With the planet heating up at a dangerous pace, the impact is felt across various demographics, particularly among vulnerable populations such as the elderly and outdoor workers. The tragic heat deaths of 21 individuals in a single day in Morocco exemplify the extreme consequences of rising temperatures. This past August marked the hottest on record globally, according to NOAA’s 175-year climate record, with average temperatures 2.29 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average.

Looking ahead, there is a 97 percent probability that 2024 will become the world's warmest year on record, according to the NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. This ongoing trend emphasizes the urgent need for climate action and awareness.