Summer has arrived, and with it a brutal heat wave that has scorched the western United States. The temperature was expected to soar to 119 in Phoenix on Tuesday, a June 20 record for the city. Temps might climb to 127 in the aptly-named Death Valley.
The severe heat has canceled flights out of Phoenix and has been blamed for buckling roads, raging fires, and power outages in California, the nation’s most populous state.
Excessive heat warnings have been issued for inland California, southern Nevada, and parts of southwest Arizona through Friday. More than 29 million residents in California are under a heat warning or advisory.
Click here to see America’s hottest cities.
Click here to see the methodology.
Heat kills more people in the United States, over a 30-year average, than any other natural hazard, according to the National Weather Service. Last year, excessive heat was blamed for 94 fatalities, second only to the 126 deaths attributed to flooding.
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration reported Monday that the average global temperature in May 2017 was 1.49 degrees above the 20th-century May average of 58.6 degrees. This May was the third-hottest on record since the organization began collecting data in 1880.
The year-to-date average global temperature through may was 1.66 degrees above the 20th-century average of 55.5 degrees. This is the second-warmest for this period, behind the record set in 2016.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration on U.S. cities that report the most days a year with exceptionally high temperatures.
Source: Thinkstock
50. Oklahoma City, OK
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 71
> Highest temp. on record: 113° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 94° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 51.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 139
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Source: Thinkstock
49. Tulsa, OK
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 73
> Highest temp. on record: 113° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 94° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 52.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 127
Source: Thinkstock
48. Sacramento, CA
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 73
> Highest temp. on record: 115° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 92° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 29.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 188
Source: John Phelan / Wikimedia Commons
47. Winslow, AZ
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 73
> Highest temp. on record: 109° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 95° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 26.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 177
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Source: Thinkstock
46. New Orleans, LA
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 74
> Highest temp. on record: 102° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 91° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 65.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 101
Source: Thinkstock
45. West Palm Beach, FL
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 75
> Highest temp. on record: 101° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 90° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 64.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 75
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Source: Thinkstock
44. Little Rock, AR
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 75
> Highest temp. on record: 114° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 93° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 55.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 119
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Source: Thinkstock
43. Mobile, AL
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 76
> Highest temp. on record: 105° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 91° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 60.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 102
Source: Thinkstock
42. Columbus, GA
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 77
> Highest temp. on record: 106° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 92° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 56.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 110
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41. Fort Smith, AR
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 77
> Highest temp. on record: 115° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 93° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 53.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 123
Source: Thinkstock
40. Columbia, SC
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 77
> Highest temp. on record: 109° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 93° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 53.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 115
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Source: Thinkstock
39. Augusta, GA
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 78
> Highest temp. on record: 108° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 92° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 54.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 112
Source: Thinkstock
38. Lake Charles, LA
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 79
> Highest temp. on record: 107° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 92° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 62.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 98
Source: Thinkstock
37. Jacksonville, FL
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 82
> Highest temp. on record: 105° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 92° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 59.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 94
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Source: Wikimedia Commons
36. Stockton, CA
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 82
> Highest temp. on record: 115° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 93° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 27.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 184
Source: Thinkstock
35. Jackson, MS
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 83
> Highest temp. on record: 107° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 92° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 59.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 111
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Source: Dudemanfellabra / Wikimedia Commons
34. Meridian, MS
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 84
> Highest temp. on record: 107° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 92° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 58.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 108
Source: Thinkstock
33. Montgomery, AL
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 84
> Highest temp. on record: 106° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 92° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 58.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 107
Source: Mike Gonzalez / Wikimedia Commons
32. Gainesville, FL
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 84
> Highest temp. on record: 103° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 91° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 62.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 0
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Source: Thinkstock
31. Lubbock, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 84
> Highest temp. on record: 114° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 93° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 46.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 160
Source: Thinkstock
30. Macon, GA
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 85
> Highest temp. on record: 108° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 93° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 55.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 112
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Source: Thinkstock
29. Port Arthur, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 86
> Highest temp. on record: 108° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 92° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 63.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 95
Source: Thinkstock
28. Tampa, FL
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 86
> Highest temp. on record: 99° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 90° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 64.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 101
Source: Thinkstock
27. Baton Rouge, LA
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 89
> Highest temp. on record: 105° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 93° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 61.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 99
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Source: Thinkstock
26. Tallahassee, FL
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 91
> Highest temp. on record: 105° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 92° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 61.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 102
Source: Wikimedia Commons
25. Bishop, CA
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 91
> Highest temp. on record: 110° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 98° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 15.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 201
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Source: Thinkstock
24. Shreveport, LA
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 92
> Highest temp. on record: 109° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 93° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 54.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 114
Source: Thinkstock
23. Orlando, FL
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 97
> Highest temp. on record: 101° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 92° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 59.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 89
Source: Wikimedia Commons
22. Roswell, NM
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 98
> Highest temp. on record: 114° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 94° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 32.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 168
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Source: Thinkstock
21. Fort Myers, FL
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 99
> Highest temp. on record: 103° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 92° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 61.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 98
Source: Abilene Wikipedia
20. Abilene, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 102
> Highest temp. on record: 110° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 94° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 46.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 149
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Source: Thinkstock
19. Houston, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 103
> Highest temp. on record: 109° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 92° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 56.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 90
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Source: Thinkstock
18. Dallas, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 103
> Highest temp. on record: 112° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 96° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 48.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 0
Source: Thinkstock
17. Redding, CA
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 104
> Highest temp. on record: 118° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 95° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 18.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 172
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Source: Wikimedia Commons
16. Midland-Odessa, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 106
> Highest temp. on record: 116° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 95° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 42.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 165
Source: Thinkstock
15. Wichita Falls, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 107
> Highest temp. on record: 117° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 97° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 44.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 151
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Source: David Jordan / Wikimedia Commons
14. Fresno, CA
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 108
> Highest temp. on record: 113° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 98° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 21.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 194
Source: Thinkstock
13. El Paso, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 108
> Highest temp. on record: 114° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 96° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 18.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 193
Source: Billy Hathorn / Wikimedia Commons
12. Victoria, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 110
> Highest temp. on record: 111° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 95° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 55.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 86
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Source: Bobak Ha'Eri / Wikimedia Commons
11. Bakersfield, CA
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 110
> Highest temp. on record: 115° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 97° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 21.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 191
Source: HuecoBear / Wikimedia Commons
10. Waco, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 111
> Highest temp. on record: 112° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 97° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 47.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 130
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Source: Shutterstock
9. Corpus Christi, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 112
> Highest temp. on record: 109° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 94° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 56.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 102
Source: Thinkstock
8. Austin, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 114
> Highest temp. on record: 112° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 97° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 49.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 115
Source: Larry D. Moore / Wikimedia Commons
7. San Angelo, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 114
> Highest temp. on record: 111° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 95° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 43.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 154
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Source: Thinkstock
6. San Antonio, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 116
> Highest temp. on record: 111° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 98° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 50.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 105
Source: 25or6to4 / Wikimedia Commons
5. Brownsville, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 124
> Highest temp. on record: 106° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 94° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 55.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 96
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Source: Billy Hathorn / Wikimedia Commons
4. Del Rio, TX
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 134
> Highest temp. on record: 112° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 97° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 50.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 121
Source: Thinkstock
3. Las Vegas, NV
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 135
> Highest temp. on record: 117° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 104° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 15.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 210
Source: Thinkstock
2. Tucson, AZ
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 146
> Highest temp. on record: 117° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 100° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 13.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 193
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Source: Thinkstock
1. Phoenix, AZ
> Days per year with 90+ temp.: 169
> Highest temp. on record: 122° F
> Normal mid-summer high: 106° F
> Mid-summer afternoon humidity: 21.0%
> Avg. sunny days per year: 211
Methodology
To identify the hottest cities in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the average number of days each year that temperatures of 90°F or higher are recorded in 254 U.S. cities. Figures came from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2015 Comparative Climatic Data report. Averages for each city were calculated over varying periods, depending on when the city began keeping records.
The normal mid-summer high temperature is the 30-year average daily maximum temperature from the month with the highest average daily temperature for each city using data recorded between 1981-2010. Mid-summer afternoon humidity is the average relative afternoon humidity for the same month as the normal mid-summer high. Highest temperature on record refers to the highest temperature recorded at each city’s weather station and may differ from citywide or statewide figures.
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