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NOAA: Earth just experienced its hottest July on record

The Administration says it was likely the hottest month - overall - on record too.

ROANOKE, Va. – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s monthly climate report shows that July 2023 was the hottest globally on record.

Records from NOAA have been kept for 174 years.

It was the 533rd consecutive month of above-average temperatures across the globe, and it’s likely to go down as the hottest month (overall) on record.

July 2023 the warmest on record across the globe

The Administration says part of this has to do with record sea surface temperatures, driven by a strong El Niño in the equatorial Pacific.

El Niño is a strong driving force in the weather across the United States, promoting heat in the West and a more active storm track in the East.

It was the country’s 11th-warmest July on record, and a lot of that was fueled by excessive heat in some southern and western parts of the U.S.

Phoenix shattered its record for the hottest month. Its average temperature (between day and night) was a record-obliterating 103°.

Closer to home, July 2023 was the 13th-warmest on record in the Roanoke Valley (where data has been kept since 1912).

July 2023 in Phoenix, AZ vs. July 2023 in Roanoke, VA

What does El Niño mean for us down the road?

It usually is a force that acts against hurricanes, but NOAA’s most recent outlook suggests that record warm ocean waters could overcome that.

In the winter, the more active storm track in the Eastern U.S. creates more opportunities for snow.

How El Niño impacts Atlantic hurricane season and winter in the Eastern U.S.

Here at home, more-than-half of El Niño winters result in above-average snowfall.

How El Niño has affected snow totals in the past in southwest and central Virginia

There are more pieces to that puzzle, and we’ll work for you to put those together in the next few months.