Researchers Say America Endured 30th Warmest July Since 1895

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - If Americans in many states felt hot last month there was good reason because it was the 30th warmest July on record, using data going back to 1895, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency said Friday.

NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina did an analysis of weather records dating back to 1895 to draw conclusions, the agency announced in an emailed statement Friday.

Researchers said they found:

• July temperatures were generally higher than average across the West and Northeast and below average in the Midwest.

• Five states (Conn., Mass., N.J., R.I. and Utah) were much warmer than average. Rhode Island had its sixth warmest July, and Massachusetts and Utah both had their eighth warmest July, based on statewide data going back to 1895. Six states (Ill., Ind., Ky., Mo., N.M. and W.Va.) were cooler than average.

• Based on NOAA's Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index, contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand was approximately three percent above average in July.