WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last month was the hottest June on record in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“Exceptional heat waves from coast to coast helped push June 2021 to the No. 1 spot on the list of hottest Junes on record for the U.S.,” wrote the NOAA in a statement.
The NOAA says the average June temperature across the lower 48 states was 72.6 degrees F, 4.2 degrees above average. That makes it the hottest June in 127 years of record-keeping and it surpasses the record set in June 2016 by 0.9 of a degree.
Officials say eight states — Arizona, California, Idaho, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Utah — also saw their hottest June on record.
Six other states — Connecticut, Maine, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming — marked their 2nd hottest June, according to the NOAA.
It was also quite a wet month for the U.S. The average June precipitation across the country was 2.93 inches, matching the historical average for the month.
But some states saw extremes in rainfall, with either too much or too little. The NOAA says South Dakota saw its driest June on record and Mississippi had its second wettest. And many parts of the West Coast are experiencing a drought as wildfire season looms.
