In a tie with 1934, the Summer of 2018 ranked as the fourth hottest summer on record for the contiguous United States after three months of blistering temperatures.
In a tie with 1934, the Summer of 2018 ranked as the fourth hottest summer on record for the contiguous United States after three months of blistering temperatures. August 2018, meanwhile, finished as the 17th warmest August, as the Southwest and Northeast broiled under record heat.
The average August temperature across the contiguous U.S. was 73.6 degrees F (1.5 degrees above average), making it the 17th-warmest August in the 124-year record, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
Parts of the Southwest had temperatures in the top 10 for warmth, while several Northeast states experienced record heat, largely due to record-warm overnight temperatures.
The average precipitation for August was 2.99 inches (0.37 inch above average), making it the 20th wettest August on record, tied with 1979 and 2005. Areas from the Great Plains to the East Coast had above-average precipitation thanks to slow-moving storm systems that dropped heavy rain. The Mid-Atlantic region saw record precipitation.
Continue reading at NOAA.
Image via NOAA.
