The all-red map tells the story.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
"The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during July was 77.6°F, 3.3°F above the 20 th century average, marking the warmest July and all-time warmest month on record for the nation in a period of record that dates back to 1895. The previous warmest July for the nation was July 1936, when the average U.S. temperature was 77.4°F."
Of course, the fact that it's been really hot isn't going to be a big surprise. Nor is the fact that much of the nation is gripped in an awful drought.
As NPR's Christopher Joyce has reported, "among scientists, there's a growing view that these latest heat waves are indeed a result of climate change."
Update at 1:15 p.m. ET. Another Way Of Looking At The Map.
NOAA has also produced a map showing where last month's temperatures were significantly different from the 1981-2010 average. The darker the color, the more extreme (to the upside) the temperatures were.
Update at 1 p.m. ET. Where July Ranks, State-By-State.
A national average is one thing, but what about where you were last month? NOAA has a webpage showing how last month stands compared to other months of July in each of the "lower 48" states.
July 2012 ranks as the hottest July on record in two states, North Dakota and Virginia.
July 2012 makes it into the top 10 hottest Julys on record in 30 other states:
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Leaving 16 states where July 2012 wasn't at least a top 10, temperature-wise:
Alabama
Arizona
California
Florida
Louisiana
Maine
Mississippi
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
Oregon
Rhode Island
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Washington
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