If you can't remember a hotter month than the one you just sweated through, there's a reason. Federal scientists say July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States. Just how satanically scorching was it? Go crouch beside the A/C and scan these stats:
77.6
Average July temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, in the lower 48 states
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77.4
Average temperature in the previous record month, July, 1936, which cursed Americans during the devastating Dust Bowl summer
118
Years the U.S. government has been keeping nationwide temperature records
3.3
Degrees by which this July beat the 20th century average for the month
32
Number of the 48 contiguous states in which this July was among the 10 hottest months, statewide, of all time
63
Percent of U.S. states that officially experienced a drought in July
0.17
Inches of rainfall below normal (2.57 inches) seen across the lower 48 states in July
12
Percentage drop in corn yields expected due to the drought, the worst since 1956
2 million
Acres consumed by wildfire in July (half a million above normal)
4
Number of consecutive months in which the U.S. has broken the mark for the hottest 12-month period ever recorded
56.1
Average temperature, Fahrenheit, over the 12-month period ending on July 31
328
Consecutive months of above-average temperatures worldwide, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Sources: Bloomberg, Reuters, Washington Post, Weather.com
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