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Subscribe to RSSMore than half of the country experienced "moderate to exceptional" drought conditions at the end of July, the hottest month ever recorded. And the impact of this hot weather has been felt across the nation as crops shrivel and wildfires rage out of control. NBC's Rehema Ellis reports.
It may come as little surprise with this summer's sweaty nights and blistering days across much of the country, but July marked the hottest month on record for the contiguous United States, according to government scientists. Furthermore, drought now covers nearly 63 percent of the Lower 48 states, where average precipitation is 0.19 inch below average.
A bit of hope, though, was seen for some crops in the Midwest thanks to cooler temperatures and rain.
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average temperature across the contiguous United States in July was 77.6 Fahrenheit, a full 3.3 degrees above the 20th century average.
The previous warmest July was in 1936, when the nation's average temperature was 77.4 degrees.
The hot July contributed to a record-warm first seven months of the year and the warmest 12-month period the nation has experienced since accurate record keeping started in 1895.
Virginia experienced its warmest July on record, with a statewide temperature a whopping 4 F above average. In all, 32 states had July temperatures among its 10 warmest, with seven states having their second warmest July on record.
While heat and extreme events such as drought and wildfires are often associated with global warming and climate change, it's unclear if the latest pattern is part of a much larger trend.
Related: Drought socks crops despite recent showers
"These events are kind of what we'd expect with climate change, we'd expect expanding drought, we'd expect warm, record breaking temperatures," Jake Crouch, a NOAA climate scientist, told NBC News. "But it's kind of hard to pinpoint this month or past several months as a telltale sign that climate change is happening. The drought is more of a local factor and isn't necessarily driven by large scale climate change, but is impacting local temperatures. But we've also seen an increase in U.S. temperatures overall."
Still, there's no doubt this summer is taking a human toll, with warmer nights making it difficult for some people to sleep, and causing physical stress, Crouch said.
And the drought rollls on, with drier-than-average conditions continuing across the Central Plains and Midwest. Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri had July precipitation totals ranking among their 10 driest.
Some rain and cooler temperatures in the drought-stricken Midwest, however, are expected to provide relief for late-season soybeans, but the change in the weather is arriving too late to help the already severely damaged corn crop, an agricultural meteorologist said on Wednesday.
"It's definitely better than what we've had but I'd be hesitant to call it a drought-buster. Longer-term outlooks still look like a return to warm and dry," said Jason Nicholls, meteorologist for AccuWeather.
Related: Blame blistering heat waves on global warming, study says
Nicholls said up to three-quarters of an inch of rain, with locally heavier amounts, was expected in roughly 75 percent of the Midwest from Wednesday through Friday morning, and a similar weather system is expected next week.
Though the heat can be uncomfortable, not everyone is complaining. “The heat is definitely a blessing for us after coming off the warm, dry winter without a lot of weather events,” Alan Ayers, general manager at Crisafulli Brothers Plumbing and Heating Contractors in Albany, told The Associated Press.
The 73-year-old company has seen an 18 percent increase in new air conditioner installations over last year and has its 16 technicians working long hours to install, replace and repair units taxed by the swelter.
A storm pattern in the Southwest contributed to California's fifth wettest July on record and Nevada experiencing its eighth wettest, NOAA said. Wetter-than-average conditions were also reported through the rest of the Southwest, along the western Gulf Coast, and through the Ohio Valley where West Virginia had its tenth wettest July.
The warm and dry conditions over a large swath of the United States were seen as ideal wildfire conditions, NOAA said. More than 2 million acres burned nationwide in July because of wildfires. That is nearly half a million acres above average, and the fourth most on record since 2000.
Over the weekend the fires that burned across the state damaged nearly 94,000 acres and on Monday a body was found in a Norman home. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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what has the climate done in the sahara?
The Sahara? 160 years ago there were ports far inland on the Niger River that handled ocean going ships. Now it is all desert.
Global Warming is happening. You can debate the cause but not the fact. Unless you're a Christian because they know everything....except about the ice age and the Dinosaurs. Hmmmm, they don't know much do they?
I'm Christian and I believe there were dinosaurs. You are blinded by your perceptions and beliefs & you don't even know it !
Welcome to Global Warming lesson #1, first in a series of many more that nature will provide. I just hope our country can manage to take real and swift action to insure our futures, such as : irrigation systems, power grid improvement, heat coping education, oil use reduction, alternative energy - which is way more advanced than you think, coastal downsizing, and education or elimination of all the deniers that threaten our future existence.
Obviously, this is Obama's fault.
No... it's Bush's fault !!
Well you all can deny GW all you want but you will not be able to deny off the droughts, record temps and wildfires. You won't be able to deny weather extremes to be less.
You can deny all you want but you're spitting in the wind.
The winter before last where I'm at was the coldest on record. I didn't think global warming could pick and choose when it wants to act up.
Yes, oh great one. And the polar caps continue to melt and we continue to deal with weather extremes unheard of in history, despite you freezing your sorry ass off two years ago.
What part of the word "global" do you not understand? GW is about climate, not weather. If it rains in the desert, it's still a desert. Get it?
Too many people don't understand the difference between climate and weather.
I get away from the effects of global warming by driving around in my air conditioned car.
August is going to be even a bigger heat wave. In NV we are looking at the 114 this week. Am not looking forward to August.
I was there in Aug. of 1998 and it was 128 in the shade. Nice to hear it's cooling off there.
Perhaps people should start saving rain when it comes - try out this cool rainfall calculator - http://www.save-the-rain.com Draw a box over your rooftop on Google satellite and it will tell you how much rain you could save in a year based on where you live...
We are in the middle of a drought so it is hot... amazing. Previous record high 1936 and what was going on then? Drought maybe? So maybe when you have a summer time drought going on temps are gonna be higher? Please refer to page 247 of the "Climate Change Handbook of Hypocrisy" and note that only a few years ago when it was a bitter cold winter, the standard by-line was "one or two cold winters doen't mean global warming isn't happening, you can't make judgements off any given year." Also, the comments about it being record cold in Europe not that long ago.. "it is a global problem, not just what is happening in one area"
Reason people don't take "warmers" overly serious is that they change the "rules of the game" every chance they get, if it is hotter "GLOBAL WARMING: Death of Humanity is Upon Us!", if it is cooler, doesnt mean anything, just an anomaly"
There is a difference between a relatively cold winter and a record-breaking hot summer. If you mistake a winter that was merely cold for one that actually broke records, you are making a false assumption that will lead you to false conclusions.
And no one ever said there would be zero record-breaking cold events -- it's the ratio between hot and cold records that matters. If the climate were stable, we'd expect to see the same number of cold records being broken as heat records. But it's not even close. Heat records are outnumbering cold records about 7 to 1 now, pretty much exactly as predicted 30 years ago.
I love living in AZ. No climate change here in the summer. Hot, Hotter, Hottest. Minimal rain. Can always plan a barbeque and have a sure success. Most likely this winter in the midwest will be the coldest ever recorded. It all goes in cycles.
And...... you can live in AZ because other parts of the Country can supply your food, fuel, and even electricity by way of the Colorado River. But you won't like it there so much when we can't continue to keep you feed, watered, and cooled.......as the cycle goes on.
I'll give you 1000 to 1 odds that the coming winter is NOT the coldest ever recorded.
Not to mention which sensors are they getting their readings from? The one by the airport Runway, or the middle of the the blacktop Parking lot or my favorite one....... the one with the Halogen light bulb shining down on it? Riddle me this and riddle me that.....
It's fortunate for the rest of the world that the red states are experiencing global warming first.
And still denying their a$$es off.
We need those red states!! The effects of the lack of food will be soon!!
When the farmers have bad years, we all have bad years. Regardless of where the majority of corn is shipped to, years of drought like this one still mean less corn to be distributed to wherever it goes. I have seen first-hand what the crops of this year look like as I am sure some of you on here have also seen some of the fields. Many fields are in a terrible shape. As to views about global warming and other theories I am not really concerned about these opinions. In the foreseeable future you can probably bank on your groceries being more expensive.
We live and die with our farmers and their bounty. For those who could care less about the red states because of their politics - you will!!
Remember Global Warming is just a myth.
I mean, who knows more....those silly Nobel Prize-winning climate scientists or Rush Limbaugh and the oil-whores in Congress?
Rush, of course! No wait, I thought you said, "who eats more...."
Well Daniel, you seem so informed and intelligent. What am I supposed to do , what is the USA supposed to do and the rest of the world. Let's hear SPECIFICS if this is so critical a matter !!
Build a bunch of big ass corks and plug the volcano's, repeatedly.
Well, I'm certainly going to do my part. I will plant a tree, ride my bike and start making the world's biggest corks. That's the only suggestion I got !!
Nope, Not in California. I guess the Golden State is not counted.
Jeff-1570172: You do a great job showing your ignorance of science in general when you comparing Phrenology and Eugenics to current climate science. You then top it off stating that only 150 years of weather were analyzed. In fact, the analyzes involved about 800,000 years of ice core samples plus Paleoclimatology studies that look at variations in the climate over the past 540 million years or more. I suggest you go study the current evidence rather than parroting the dimwitted arguments you present here.
If I leave an ice cube out in the freezer it's gone and freeze dried in a month. Are you telling me I could stick one on the south pole and someone can find and test it in 540 million years?
Bryan-374849: Your ice cube trick probably wouldn't work, but the studies are done on ice cores taken in the Antarctic. These types of go back only about 800,000 years. These core samples trap air samples that date that far back that allow you to determine the contents of the atmosphere throughout that time period.
Paleoclimatology uses other data gathering methods including analysis of the contents of the layers of the earth to determine the climate during any particular period. The studies have shown many things, including the fact that if you look at Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere, the present level, you would have to go back about 25 million years.
Here's a link to a Wikipedia article that may help you understand at least a part of the problem and the methods involved in the analysis. Link
Your ice cube is exposed to the air. They're taking ice core samples from as deep as 15,000 feet. Not much free air that deep.
God hates America!
I see you were let out early for the weekend... good behavior ? Just remember, the men in white coats will be back for you Sunday night.
Scientists? what do they know? Fox news found one who sent a joking email so we know that GW is a farce! We need to stop listening to scientists and start preaching more religion in schools because that's what a good ignorant conservative would want to make this world a better place, lol. But seriously...how are these idiots still denying the facts and findings of the world's experts in all of this?
Steveo, as a Christian I do not debate global warming. It is just who is causing it - man or God?? No comparison there!!
So at first it's "Al Gore is an idiot and GW is a joke." Now its "God is making the world hotter!"? Is this the same reason he let all of the Jews die in the Holocaust? I'm not sure why anyone would worship a guy who continues these atrocities.
It was the Nazi's who did this... not God. God has given mankind freedom to do what he wants. Would you like God to control what YOU do and be more or less a robot ?
Hottest month on record, whoopie! And we are still alive to talk about it. If it were not for American ingenuity and ability to adapt, maybe we would have gone the way of the dinosaurs last month. Speaking of records and dinosaurs, what was the average temperature 5 million years ago? 10 million years ago? What caused the glaciers to melt away from North America after the last Ice Age and what was the average temperature then. What caused the temperature to rise then? Oh, wait! We don't know because there was no way to record that info from back then. But that doesn't stop you tin foiled hat wearing leftists alarmists from blaming the increase in temperature on human activity, does it? When even one person can describe what human activity or which brand of SUV created the conditions to warm the earth enough to melt miles thick ancient glaciers from North America, I will listen to you Global Warming Crack Pots!
So we should continue to put as much CO2 into the atmosphere as possible, and ignore the fact that we will also run out of oil, and shun away green and clean energy? Yes, Rodney B knows more about this than 95% of the scientists who dedicate their lives to this field. You sir are a genius and we thank you for your dedication to burying your head in the sand!
Thank you Steve! I prefer to have my head in the sand instead of the place where, scented with your fecal aroma, your head is firmly ensconced. Your response is exactly why I, and millions like me, will never believe someone like you. When you can point me to the genius who can explain the answers to my legitimate questions about the temperatures on earth before the Europeans killed off all of the Indians in North America or sent them to re-education camps in the west, perhaps I can be persuaded.
Science caused global warming and now the scientists are attempting to blame it one everyone else.
Actually the thing is being driven by an over populated planet (too many humans). If the population were reduced to a reasonable number global warming would be a non issue.
We can all imagine that white conservatives, upon entering their 'whites only' section of Hell, will demand to see the scientific evidence for Hell's existence. Upon receiving the requested verification, they will simply deny the evidence and begin searching for ice water.
Happy hunting, Republicans!
Mr, you have quite the imagination. Where do you get you opinion from??
Have fun training to make fries tonight. Amazed that its a 6 week course...for you.
I formulate my own opinions as opposed to copying them from cereal boxes and right wing journals.
Of course, if you restrict your cereal boxes to those ONLY made from bland white rice...you get my drift.
And since Jeff is in a particularly pissy mood, perhaps another cross-burning will cheer him up?
We could be heading for another "dust bowl" period.
I continue to be amazed that those who have no clue about science or the expertise of those who study the science of global warming, will not hesitate to post anonymously their ignorant conspiracy theories. Or pretend to know better than thousands of scientists.
That sort of thing is routine for the radical right.
They treat science like religion. Believe, and have faith in that belief and nothing else matters. Science and facts do not matter when you have faith! They're like a four year old with an imaginary friend.
4 years old is a stretch, I think maybe more like 2, have seen smarter 2-year olds for sure.
You mean the like the thousands of scientists who in the 1970's guarenteed us we were causing another ice age?
Jeff-1570172, i am also amazed at those who post ignorant "facts" as having some validity. You want to back up your statement by providing a valid reference? You can't.
Again, ignorance leads you to be contemptuous of those who actually do research. I quote from skepticalscience.com:
The numbers, as this indicates, went from more than 80% predicting warming to nearly 100% predicting warming.
Once again, as I have often been forced to point out, there is no legitimate debate about climate change. The only debate has been about whether human activity caused it, and even then there is overwhelming agreement among climatologists that human activity did, yes, cause it.
These are just the facts. If you choose to deny them, that's your business.
There are not thousands of scientists, a few hundred at most, with more and more of them admitting they were wrong.
Jeff........ Thousands of Scientists, you made that up, there were only several papers - a minority.
Actually, you can also see how bogus your claims of widespread belief in scientific circles of a coming ice age is by checking wikipedia. Or the Christian Science Monitor (). Or NewScientist ().
Repeating a myth doesn't make it true and your point is herewith; I hope for all time. Stop being lazy and use your computer to increase your knowledge.
Another heat wave, another opportunity for the brain dead radical right wing climate change deniers to flaunt their ignorance and stupidity. Global warming is either:
a. Not happening at all. (It's just a hoax.)
b. Happening, but due to natural causes. (Mars is getting warmer too)
c. Happening due to man made causes, but it's too expensive to do anything about. (Will cause massive unemployment, much higher energy prices, everyone becomes desperately poor)
d. Happening due to man made causes, but it is a good thing. ("Global warming is my friend," Michele Bachmann)
e. All of the above.
OK right wingers, 1, 2, 3, GO!
Zorro, who is causing it and how do we solve it?? 1, 2, 3, GO!!
Are you a climate scientist Zorro, or have a clue as to what you are talking about?
Didn't think so...