With summer just a few months away, and the U.S. increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates, Americans are gearing up for the possibility of a more normal summer season. But while residents in the northern U.S. typically enjoy comfortably warm temperatures, Americans in other parts of the country increasingly face months of extreme heat and other severe weather events. According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), some U.S. cities experience nearly 200 days per year with temperatures of 90℉ or higher, a number that’s rising.
Many parts of the U.S. with already high summer temperatures are seeing their temperatures climb even higher as the Earth’s temperatures warm. In every year since 1977, global average temperatures have been higher than the 20th century global temperature average. And the difference from the average 20th century temperature has been steadily climbing.
In 2020, the global temperature average was 1.6℃ higher (2.84℉) than the average temperature from the last century, making it the warmest year on record (tied with year 2016). The impacts of global climate change are already occurring in the form of sea ice depletion, faster rise in sea levels, and more intense heat waves. Scientists predict that global temperatures will continue to increase, although not uniformly, and much of the western and central parts of the U.S. will be subject to more frequent and extreme summer heat waves.
As the Earth warms overall, such high temperature extremes are becoming increasingly common. In 2020, 49% of the U.S. had maximum temperatures much above normal—that is, nearly half of the country had high temperatures in the upper 10th percentile of the local historical record. At the same time, cold temperature extremes have become less common. For example, in 2020, no part of the U.S. recorded low temperatures in the bottom 10th percentile.
At the state level, some states have had more marked increases in their average temperatures than others. Comparing data from the past year to the historical record, Rhode Island experienced the greatest average temperature increase, 3.6℉, from the 20th century average temperature. Other states with similar increases include Maine, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, California, and New Jersey. Only two states, Arkansas and Oklahoma, actually recorded slightly lower average temperatures than last century’s average, -0.2℉ and -0.1℉ lower, respectively.
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To find the hottest city in every state, researchers at Filterbuy analyzed the latest data from NOAA. Within each state, the researchers ranked cities according to the greatest long-term average number of days per year when the temperature is 90℉ or higher. Researchers also calculated the long-term average number of days per year when the temperature is 100℉ or higher, the long-term average high temperature during the summer months, and the average long-term low temperature during summer. Only cities with populations of 10,000 or greater were considered in the analysis.
The Hottest City in Every State
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Alabama
Hottest city: Tuscaloosa
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 80
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 5
Average summer maximum temperature: 91.9℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 70.7℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Alaska
Hottest city: Fairbanks
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 0
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 0
Average summer maximum temperature: 70.6℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 48.9℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Arizona
Hottest city: Yuma
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 185
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 124
Average summer maximum temperature: 107.5℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 73.8℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Arkansas
Hottest city: Helena-West Helena
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 100
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 11
Average summer maximum temperature: 94.1℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 68.2℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
California
Hottest city: Indio
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 182
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 117
Average summer maximum temperature: 105.7℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 78.3℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Colorado
Hottest city: Greeley
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 68
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 12
Average summer maximum temperature: 90.9℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 56.2℉
Danbury is a city in the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT metro area. Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Connecticut
Hottest city: Danbury
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 16
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 1
Average summer maximum temperature: 82.8℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 61.2℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Delaware
Hottest city: Newark
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 30
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 1
Average summer maximum temperature: 86.7℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 63.9℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Florida
Hottest city: Lakeland
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 138
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 1
Average summer maximum temperature: 93.8℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 72.5℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Georgia
Hottest city: Albany
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 89
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 2
Average summer maximum temperature: 91.9℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 71.4℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Hawaii
Hottest city: Honolulu
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 19
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 0
Average summer maximum temperature: 87.9℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 74.3℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Idaho
Hottest city: Caldwell
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 62
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 14
Average summer maximum temperature: 90.5℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 56.7℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Illinois
Hottest city: Carbondale
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 40
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 1
Average summer maximum temperature: 87.8℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 65.1℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Indiana
Hottest city: Evansville
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 66
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 3
Average summer maximum temperature: 90.6℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 68.8℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Iowa
Hottest city: Burlington
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 25
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 1
Average summer maximum temperature: 85.2℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 65.0℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Kansas
Hottest city: Liberal
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 73
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 13
Average summer maximum temperature: 91.3℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 63.2℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Kentucky
Hottest city: Glasgow
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 54
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 2
Average summer maximum temperature: 89.6℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 65.3℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Louisiana
Hottest city: Monroe
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 98
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 7
Average summer maximum temperature: 93.3℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 70.9℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Maine
Hottest city: Orono
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 8
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 0
Average summer maximum temperature: 78.9℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 56.7℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Maryland
Hottest city: Baltimore
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 61
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 8
Average summer maximum temperature: 90.3℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 73.0℉
Lowell is a city in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area. Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Massachusetts
Hottest city: Lowell
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 15
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 0
Average summer maximum temperature: 81.9℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 57.6℉
Dearborn is a city in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area. Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Michigan
Hottest city: Dearborn
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 14
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 0
Average summer maximum temperature: 82.7℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 60.2℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Minnesota
Hottest city: Minneapolis
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 17
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 1
Average summer maximum temperature: 83.7℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 62.8℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Mississippi
Hottest city: Hernando
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 92
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 12
Average summer maximum temperature: 93.4℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 69.0℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Missouri
Hottest city: Kennett
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 63
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 5
Average summer maximum temperature: 90.6℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 68.0℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Montana
Hottest city: Billings
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 41
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 3
Average summer maximum temperature: 86.3℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 54.2℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Nebraska
Hottest city: Scottsbluff
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 40
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 3
Average summer maximum temperature: 86.3℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 56.0℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Nevada
Hottest city: Mesquite
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 147
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 100
Average summer maximum temperature: 105.2℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 74.3℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
New Hampshire
Hottest city: Hudson
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 11
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 0
Average summer maximum temperature: 80.5℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 56.4℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
New Jersey
Hottest city: Moorestown
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 37
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 1
Average summer maximum temperature: 87.2℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 61.7℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
New Mexico
Hottest city: Carlsbad
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 105
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 21
Average summer maximum temperature: 94.6℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 66.5℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
New York
Hottest city: New York
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 17
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 0
Average summer maximum temperature: 83.2℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 67.4℉
Concord is a city in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area. Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
North Carolina
Hottest city: Concord
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 55
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 2
Average summer maximum temperature: 89.3℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 67.3℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
North Dakota
Hottest city: Williston
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 22
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 2
Average summer maximum temperature: 81.7℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 53.2℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Ohio
Hottest city: Dayton
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 31
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 1
Average summer maximum temperature: 85.8℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 65.1℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Oklahoma
Hottest city: Lawton
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 96
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 27
Average summer maximum temperature: 95.3℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 70.0℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Oregon
Hottest city: Medford
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 54
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 9
Average summer maximum temperature: 87.7℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 55.4℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Pennsylvania
Hottest city: Philadelphia
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 32
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 1
Average summer maximum temperature: 86.2℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 68.3℉
Warwick is a city in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area. Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Rhode Island
Hottest city: Warwick
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 9
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 0
Average summer maximum temperature: 80.6℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 62.0℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
South Carolina
Hottest city: Columbia
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 95
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 12
Average summer maximum temperature: 93.5℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 71.9℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
South Dakota
Hottest city: Pierre
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 37
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 6
Average summer maximum temperature: 85.4℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 59.2℉
Millington in a city in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area. Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Tennessee
Hottest city: Millington
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 70
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 4
Average summer maximum temperature: 91.2℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 70.4℉
A fence with the wordPhoto Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Texas
Hottest city: Rio Grande City
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 166
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 44
Average summer maximum temperature: 98.1℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 75.3℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Utah
Hottest city: St. George
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 116
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 46
Average summer maximum temperature: 98.7℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 71.6℉
Essex is a city in the Burlington, VT metro area. Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Vermont
Hottest city: Essex
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 6
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 0
Average summer maximum temperature: 78.9℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 57.2℉
Suffolk is a city in the Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News, VA–NC metro area. Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Virginia
Hottest city: Suffolk
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 46
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 1
Average summer maximum temperature: 88.4℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 66.2℉
Pasco is a city in Franklin County, WA. Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Washington
Hottest city: Pasco
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 45
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 5
Average summer maximum temperature: 88.1℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 54.5℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
West Virginia
Hottest city: Huntington
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 28
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 0
Average summer maximum temperature: 86.0℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 64.4℉
West Allis is a city in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area. Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Wisconsin
Hottest city: West Allis
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 16
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 0
Average summer maximum temperature: 82.4℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 61.1℉
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Wyoming
Hottest city: Riverton
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 90℉: 30
Number of days per year w/ temperature above 100℉: 1
Average summer maximum temperature: 84.8℉
Average summer minimum temperature: 51.2℉
Detailed Findings & Methodology
Of the hottest cities in each state, Yuma, AZ boasts the highest number of days per year with temperatures above 90℉, at 185 days or over half the year. Yuma also has an astounding 124 days per year with temperatures over 100℉. On average, the hottest cities have 59 days per year with temperatures over 90℉ and 13 days per year with temperatures over 100℉.
Summer high and low temperatures also vary substantially among the hottest cities. On average across all 50 cities, the average summer high temperature is 89℉ and the average summer low temperature is 65℉. However, some cities have far hotter days. Yuma’s average high in summer is 108℉, while the average high summer temperature in Fairbanks, AK is just 71℉. Besides more moderate temperature during the day, northern states also tend to have cooler nights and mornings during the summer. This is reflected in the average summer low temperatures. The average low temperature in the summer in Fairbanks is a brisk 49℉, while summer temperatures typically don’t fall much below 80℉ in Indio, CA.
To find the hottest city in every state, researchers at Filterbuy analyzed the latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information’s (NCEI) Climate Normals dataset. The Climate Normals are three-decade averages of climatological variables, including temperature and precipitation. Within each state, the researchers ranked cities according to the greatest long-term average number of days per year when the temperature is 90℉ or higher. Researchers also calculated the long-term average number of days per year when the temperature is 100℉ or higher, the long-term average high temperature in summer, and the average long-term low temperature in summer. Only cities with populations of 10,000 or greater were considered in the analysis.
