The main purpose of this ongoing blog will be to track planetary extreme, or record temperatures related to climate change. Any reports I see of ETs will be listed below the main topic of the day. I’ll refer to extreme or record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).😜
Here is a new feature for this blog, which I will add daily. This is the latest inciteful Green News Report from my friends Desi Doyen and Brad Friedman at Progressive Voices. Hit ‘More info,’ listen, then hit return to see my daily topics:
Green News Report with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen
Episode: 9/8/2026 — More info…
Main Topic: U.S. August 2026 Record Scoreboard and Climatological Review (Summer 2026 Was Record Hottest)
Dear Diary. It’s time for our monthly climatological review. Here on this site, we usually present monthly summaries near the 8th of each month, and each is available by clicking the link below:
https://guyonclimate.com/category/record-scoreboard-climatological-reviews
I’m repeating this mantra every month:
Trends are getting disturbing here because we now have back-to-back hottest months on record in July and August 2026.
August 2026 got ranked by the National Center for Environmental Information for the lower 48 states as the hottest August on record or 132st coolest since records began being kept in 1895 at +3.50°F above the 1901-2000 average. It also marked the hottest month on record period.
Summer 2026 got ranked by the National Center for Environmental Information for the lower 48 states as the hottest Summer on record or 132st coolest since records began being kept in 1895 at +2.99°F above the 1901-2000 average.
The above data was from:
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/national/rankings
Brief summary for August 2026: A heatwave dominated the country throughout the month, starting in the West and shifting to the Southwest the first ten days of the month, then eastward to the Plains and South between the tenth and twentieth, then back to the West and Southern Plains during the last part of the month. Most reports of record heat came from every area of the U.S. except for the Great Lakes states. What few reports of record chill occurred mainly across the West during the month, mainly due to dry conditions.
It was hot enough to log 101 reports of all-time record heat.
You can check out record totals for yourself on my NCEI record archives:
NCEI Record Count Archive – Guy On Climate
Here are my two U.S. Daily Record Scoreboards updated through 8/10/2026 (data compiled from the following NCEI site):
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/datatools/records
I’m also keeping tabs on record report totals to verify a scientific study I helped to complete in the decade of the 2000s. We’ll eventually see how skewed ratios of record warm to cold reports get by the year 2100, which the study mentions as 50-1 for DHMX vs. DLMN:
DHMX= Daily High Max Reports. DLMN= Daily Low Min Reports. DHMN= Daily High Min Reports. DLMX=Daily Low Max Reports.
Boldly highlighted red, blue, or purple colored months, such as December 2023 and June 2021, that have ratios of >10 to 1 daily or <1 to 10 of daily warm to low records are either historically hot or cold, most of which have made news. NCEI rankings are for the lower 48 states with the warmest ranking since 1895 of average temperatures being 132 and 1 being the coldest as of 2026. Blue colors represent cold months and red warm. Those months and years with counts close to a 1 to 1 ratio of highs to lows are colored black. All-time record hottest or coldest months and years are boldly colored in purple. NCDC rankings have been color coded (under tabs in each file) such that values of 55 to 75 are black representing neutral months or years (+ or – 10 from the average ranking of 64).
Totals are record reports for the entire United States including all territories minus those from Alaska. I’ve subtracted those from Alaska to get a better representation of what has occurred across the lower 48 states in association with lower 48 state rankings.
August 2026 had approximately a 9.5 to 1 ratio of record DHMX to DLMN individual record counts, but the color I used for that month was purple on the top chart because the month was the warmest August in recorded history.
August 2026 had approximately a 9 to 1 ratio of record DHMN to DLMX individual record counts, but the color I used for that month was purple on the bottom chart because the month was the warmest August in recorded history
Due to climate change, we are seeing fewer blue colors on these Record Scoreboards with time.
The average temperature lower 48 state ranking for August 2026 was 132 (warmest on record), which was colored purple since it was the warmest on record. We are seeing fewer blue colors on my charts, and July 2026 was yet another anomalously hot month.
I color rankings of +10 to -10 from the average ranking for the lower 48 states of 65 black, indicating that these are near average temperature wise. The top warmest ranking for 2026 would be 132 since rankings began in 1895.
September 2026 has gotten off to a hot start for most of the nation. A heatwave will persist across the southern tier of states this weekend into next week, which should make the month anomalously hot for lower 48 state averages. Overall, September should be above average and could make the top ten warmest list looking at current model guidance.
Interestingly, here is what we see as far as overall yearly ratios go for the 2020s so far. Warmth is key here:
We now have 6 out of 10 full years’ worth of data for the 2020s. Interestingly, 2024 stands out as the second warmest year, which was also the year with a strong El Niño. We are now seeing the warmest year, so far during 2026, which will get pegged as another year with a strong El Niño.
Here is much more detailed climatology for August 2026 as complied by NOAA:
Monitoring the U.S. Temperature and Precipitation in August 2026
Warmest summer on record for the contiguous U.S.
Courtesy of Canva.com
Key Takeaways:
- Warmest summer on record: The average temperature for meteorological summer (June–August) 2026 was the warmest for the contiguous United States (CONUS) in the 132-year record, exceeding the previous records, set in 1936 and 2021, by 0.4°F.
- Warmest August on record: August 2026 averaged 75.6°F, the warmest August on record (1895–present) for the CONUS. Daytime maximum temperatures averaged 88.6°F across the CONUS, which was also the warmest on record.
- August precipitation contrasts: While portions of the Midwest and Ohio Valley regions recorded much-above-average August precipitation totals, large areas of the southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley received much-below-average precipitation.
- Hawaiʻi exceptionally wet: Hurricane Lala brought heavy rainfall to Hawaiʻi, contributing to its second-wettest August on record (1991–present). Year-to-date precipitation averaged across the island chain was more than three feet above the 1991–2020 average (91.7% above normal), making it the wettest January–August period on record.
- Drought expanded: Drought covered 59.1% of the CONUS on September 1, an increase of more than 10 percentage points from early August.
Other Highlights:
Temperature
The average temperature for the CONUS in August was 75.6°F, 3.5°F above the 20th-century average, while the average for meteorological summer (June–August) was 74.4°F, 3.0°F above average. Both August and summer were the warmest in the 132-year record.
Most of the CONUS experienced above- to much-above-average August temperatures, with near-average conditions confined to parts of the northern Plains and Midwest. Record-breaking warmth was widespread across the West, Southwest, southern Rockies and southwestern Plains, as well as the southern Florida Peninsula. California, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado each set records for their warmest August average temperature. California and New Mexico also recorded their warmest average daytime maximum temperatures on record, while average nighttime minimum temperatures were record warm in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado.
Summer saw widespread above-average temperatures. Much-above-average nighttime minimum temperatures spanned most of the CONUS, while average daytime maximum temperatures remained near average across much of the Midwest, Ohio and Tennessee valleys. Record-breaking heat extended across much of the Southwest, with Arizona (tied), New Mexico, Utah and Colorado each recording their warmest summer on record.
Alaska’s average temperature during August was 52.4°F, 2.9°F above the 1925–2000 average, ranking in the warmest third of the 102-year record. Alaska’s June–August average temperature was 51.6°F, 1.1°F above average and ranking in the warmest third of the record.
Hawaiʻi’s average temperature during August was 70.8°F, 1.4°F above the 1991–2020 average, ranking as the third-warmest August in the 36-year record. Hawaiʻi’s June–August average temperature was 69.4°F, 0.8°F above average and ranking in the warmest third of the record.
Precipitation
Total precipitation averaged across the CONUS in August was 2.30 inches, 0.32 inch below the 20th-century average, ranking in the driest third of the 132-year record and making it the driest August since 2000.
Below-average precipitation was observed across portions of the West, Upper Midwest and the broad region from the southern Rockies and southern Plains into the Lower Mississippi Valley. Meanwhile, above-average precipitation fell across portions of the central tier, from central California to the Mid-Atlantic region.
Statewide, Indiana and Ohio received their highest August precipitation on record, about twice their average August totals. Neighboring Illinois and West Virginia, along with New Jersey, also had much-above-average precipitation, receiving more than 50% above their average August totals. In contrast, Texas and Oklahoma received less than 30% of their average August precipitation, ranking as their third- and fifth-driest Augusts, respectively. Both states recorded their lowest statewide August precipitation totals since 2000.
The CONUS received 8.11 inches of precipitation during summer, 0.21 inch below the 20th-century average, ranking in the driest third of the record. California received just 0.20 inch, 26% of its average summer precipitation, ranking as its fifth-driest summer on record and driest since 2002. In contrast, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia received much-above-average precipitation for the season.
Alaska’s average precipitation was 4.57 inches in August, 0.20 inch above the 1925–2000 average, ranking in the middle third of the 102-year record. Alaska’s June–August precipitation averaged 10.67 inches, 0.67 inch above average, also ranking in the middle third of the record.
Hawaiʻi received 16.01 inches of precipitation in August, 10.84 inches above the 1991–2020 average, making it the second-wettest August on record (1991–present). Hurricane Lala brought heavy rainfall to Hawaiʻi, with rainfall peaking at 43.54 inches at Laupāhoehoe on the Big Island. June–August precipitation averaged 28.24 inches across the island chain, 14.83 inches above average, ranking as the second-wettest summer on record. Year-to-date precipitation averaged 75.83 inches, 36.28 inches above average, making January–August the wettest such period on record.
Drought
According to the September 1 U.S. Drought Monitor, about 59.1% of the CONUS was in drought, an increase of about 10.5 percentage points since early August. Drought persisted across much of the interior West, including portions of the Southwest, Great Basin, Northwest and Rockies. Drought expanded or intensified across the northern Plains and parts of the Upper Midwest, as well as much of the southern Plains, Lower Mississippi Valley and Deep South. In contrast, drought contracted or decreased in intensity across portions of the Southwest, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. In Puerto Rico, more than three-quarters of the island was in drought, with more than 40% classified as extreme drought.
Monthly Outlook
September temperatures are favored to be above average across much of the CONUS, from the Southwest and Rockies to the Great Lakes, Gulf Coast and Southeast, with the highest likelihood over a broad area centered on portions of the southern and central Plains. Below-average temperatures are favored over parts of the Pacific Northwest and western Alaska. Above-average precipitation is favored across western portions of the CONUS and Alaska, as well as parts of the Northeast and southern Florida, while below-average precipitation is favored over parts of the central Plains and middle Mississippi Valley. Visit the Climate Prediction Center’s Official 30-Day Forecasts for more details.
Drought is expected to persist over portions of the Great Basin, Northwest, northern Plains, and Upper Midwest, with further development likely across the southern and central Plains into the middle Mississippi Valley. Drought is expected to persist and expand further over Puerto Rico. Drought improvement or removal is expected across coastal portions of the Northwest and areas from the Southwest to central Rockies, and parts of the far Southeast. Visit the U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook website for more details.
Significant wildland fire potential for September is above average across parts of the Northwest and northern Great Basin, portions of the Upper Midwest, much of the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley, parts of southern Florida and Puerto Rico. For additional information on wildland fire potential, visit the National Interagency Fire Center’s One-Month Wildland Fire Outlook.
For more detailed climate information, check out our comprehensive August 2026 U.S. Climate Report scheduled for release on September 14, 2026. For additional information on the statistics provided here, visit the Climate at a Glance and National Maps webpages.
Published
September 9, 2026
Related Links
August 2026 U.S. Climate Report (Available September 14, 2026)
National Temperature and Precipitation Maps
Climatological Rankings Explained
State of the Climate Summaries
August 2026 County Superlatives
Here are some “ETs” recorded from around the U.S. the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:
Here is More Climate News from Wednesday:
(As usual, this will be a fluid post in which more information gets added during the day as it crosses my radar, crediting all who have put it on-line. Items will be archived on this site for posterity. In most instances click on the pictures of each tweet to see each article. The most noteworthy items will be listed first.)