KEMETIC MINDS — BREAKING NEWS
September 09, 2026
The United States experienced its hottest summer in 132 years, with temperatures averaging 74.4 degrees Fahrenheit nationwide between June and August, according to a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report [1].
The three-month stretch — known to climate scientists as “meteorological summer” — exceeded the previous national record, set in 1936 and again in 2021, by 0.4 degrees [1]. The season followed several months of high temperatures and expanding drought across the country, officials said [1].
Key Facts
- August 2026 broke monthly records on its own: the month averaged 75.6 degrees, and its average daytime high of 88.6 degrees was the warmest such figure ever recorded for the month [1].
- June-through-August temperatures ran 3.5 degrees hotter than average summer readings collected through the 1900s; August alone ran 3 degrees hotter than that century’s norm [1].
- Record warmth was widespread across the West, Southwest, southern Rockies, southwestern Plains and southern Florida Peninsula, with California, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado each posting their warmest August on record [1].
- Nighttime lows averaged the highest on record across Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah; for the full summer, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah set records and Arizona tied its previous mark [1].
- Rain averaged 8.11 inches nationwide for the season, 0.21 inches below last century’s summer average, despite substantially above-average precipitation in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio [1].
August records stretched across the West
Much of the contiguous U.S. endured “above- to much-above average” temperatures in August; areas with normal conditions were confined to isolated pockets of the Midwest and northern Plains [1]. California and New Mexico saw their average daily August highs climb to record heights [1].
The report placed the most punishing conditions in the West, Southwest, southern Rockies, southwestern Plains and southern Florida Peninsula, where regions experienced punishing heat waves, destructive wildfires and declining water reserves [1]. By the end of the season, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah had each recorded their hottest summer ever, and Arizona tied its previous record [1].
Rain lagged behind the historic average
Precipitation across the U.S. fell below the 20th-century average even though parts of the country faced storms that brought heavy rain [1]. The nationwide June-through-August average of 8.11 inches came in 0.21 inches below last century’s seasonal norm [1].
Substantially above-average precipitation fell in states like Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, the report said, and still the country as a whole finished the season below its historical rainfall average [1].
What’s Still Unconfirmed
Nothing in this story is unconfirmed: every figure and attribution comes from NOAA’s report as covered by CBS News on Sept. 9, 2026 [1].
Black Excellence This Week
The hard news is real, and so is this. Wins reported by the Black press in the last 14 days:
- HBCUs Are Building New Support Systems for Black Male Students
capitalbnews.org · 2026-09-08 - Florida HBCU Announces Historic Enrollment
miamiherald.com · 2026-09-02
What You Can Do This Week
Not just bad news — here is where to push.
- Contact your U.S. representative to request federal funding for urban heat resilience programs. — Find your U.S. representative
- Attend your city council meeting to propose a cooling center network for vulnerable residents. — Attend your city council meeting (USA.gov local officials)
- Locate a community health center to screen for heat illness risks this week. — Find a community health center (HRSA)
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- CBS News. (2026, September 9). The U.S. just had its hottest summer on record, NOAA says. cbsnews.com ↩a ↩b ↩c ↩d ↩e ↩f ↩g ↩h ↩i ↩j ↩k ↩l ↩m ↩n ↩o ↩p
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