Year 2014 Monthly Statewide Temperature Rankings

These maps show the monthly temperature rankings for each of the conterminous United States.
The statewide monthly average temperature ranking is based upon a comparison to the entire data set.
The statewide monthly data set begins in 1895 and is from the National Climatic Data Center

Rankings based on 120 years of data (1895 -2014).

Scroll down to see all of the months for Year 2014
AND monthly summaries are located below all of the maps.

 

 

 

 

 

March 2014 Statewide temperature rankings

 

February Statewide Ranks

.

  • Climate Highlights –€” December
    • The average contiguous U.S. temperature during December was 37.1°F, 4.5°F above the 20th century average. This was the second warmest December on record for the contiguous U.S., behind December 1939 when the temperature was 37.7°F. The average maximum (daytime) December temperature was 45.7°F, 2.9°F above average and the 17th warmest on record. The average minimum (nighttime) temperature was 28.6°F, 6.0°F above the 20th century average, the warmest December contiguous U.S. minimum temperature on record. The previous record warm December minimum temperature was 26.8°F in 1994.
    • Every state in the Lower 48 had an above-average December temperature. Nine states across the West, Southern Plains, and Northeast had a top 10 warm December, but no state was record warm. Minimum (nighttime) temperatures were generally warmer across most of the country, with Massachusetts and Oklahoma having record warm December minimum temperatures.
    • Alaska had its fifth warmest December on record, capping off a record warm year for the state. The December statewide average temperature was 8.1°F above the 1971-2000 average. Fairbanks and McGrath had their warmest December on record, while Anchorage had the second warmest year in its 101-year record. December was drier than average in Alaska with a monthly precipitation total 19.2 percent below average.
    • During December there were more than 8 times more warm daily maximum and minimum temperature records compared to cold daily maximum and minimum temperature records. There were 5,060 warm daily temperature records (1,371 maximum and 3,689 minimum) compared to 580 cold daily temperature records (370 maximum and 210 minimum).
  • Climate Highlights –€” November
  • The average contiguous U.S. temperature during November was 39.3°F, 2.4°F below the 20th century average. This ranked as the 16th coldest November in the 1895-2014 record, and was the coldest November since 2000. The average maximum (daytime) November temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 50.3°F, 2.4°F below the 20th century average and ranked as the 21st lowest on record for November. The average minimum (nighttime) November temperature was 28.3°F, 2.4°F below the 20th century average, the 15th coldest on record.
  • Locations from the Rockies to the East Coast were cooler than average, where 18 states across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Southeast had a top 10 cool November. No state was record cold, but Alabama and Mississippi each had their second coldest November. The Southwest was warmer than average, where California had its ninth warmest November on record. No state was record warm during November.
  • Alaska had its fifth warmest November in its 1918-2014 record, with a temperature 7.7°F above the 1971-2000 average. Several locations across the state had their warmest November on record, including King Salmon and Homer. In fact, this marked the fifth month of 2014 that Homer has been record warm. The warm temperatures limited snow cover and depth across Alaska. Ski resorts near Anchorage were not able to open for the Thanksgiving holiday for the first time in over a decade.

  • Climate Highlights –€” October
  • The October national temperature was 57.1°F, 3.0°F above average. This ranked as the fourth warmest October in the 120-year period of record. The average maximum (daytime) October temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 69.6°F, 2.8°F above the 20th century average, ranking as the eighth highest on record for October. The average minimum (nighttime) October temperature was 44.6°F, 3.2°F above the 20th century average, the fifth warmest on record.
  • Locations from the Rockies westward and large parts of the Northeast were much warmer than average during October. Record warmth was observed at several locations along the Pacific coast, including Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Monterey, California;. Sixteen states, in both the West and Northeast, including every state west of the Rockies, had one of their 10 warmest Octobers on record. This was the first month since July 2013 with no state observing a statewide temperature in the below-average category (bottom third of the historical record).
  • Much of the Great Plains and South were also warmer than average. Near-normal temperatures prevailed in the Midwest. The relatively dry and warm conditions across the Corn Belt were beneficial in allowing late developing crops to mature and not cause problems with harvesting.

 

  • Climate Highlights –€” September
  • Locations from the Rockies westward were warmer than average during September. California, Nevada, and Utah each had one of the 10 warmest Septembers on record. Much of the East Coast was also warmer than average. Near- to below-average temperatures were observed across much of the Plains and the Midwest. Crops continued to mature at a slower than average rate throughout the Northern Plains and Corn Belt. Early freeze conditions across parts of the Northern Plains ended the growing season earlier than average.


  • Climate Highlights –€” August
  • The August national temperature was 72.2°F, 0.1°F above average. This ranked near the middle value in the 120-year period of record and was the coldest August for the Lower-48 since 2009. The average maximum (daytime) August temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 84.2°F, 0.9°F below the 20th century average, the 28th coldest August maximum temperature for the contiguous U.S. and the coldest since 2004. The average minimum (nighttime) August temperature was 60.2°F, 1.2°F above the 20th century average, the 22nd warmest on record. The warmer than average minimum temperature and cooler than average maximum temperature are consistent with a large portion of the country being wetter than average, which tends to dampen daytime temperatures and keep nighttime temperatures from dropping as much.
  • During August there were nearly 2,200 (2,179) record warm daily high (431) and low (1,748) temperature records and about the same number (2,189) of record cold daily high (1,763) and low (426) temperature records.

 

  • Climate Highlights –€” July
  • The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during July was 73.3°F, 0.3°F below the 20th century average, ranking near the middle of the 120-year period of record. This was the coolest July for the Lower-48 since 2009. The average maximum (daytime) July temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 85.8°F, 0.9°F below the 20th century average, while the average minimum (nighttime) July temperature was 60.8°F, 0.2°F above the 20th century average.
  • Below-average temperatures stretched from the Midwest, through the Mississippi River Valley, and into parts of the Southeast, where 13 states had one of their 10 coolest Julys on record. Arkansas and Indiana each had their coolest July on record. The Arkansas average temperature was 75.7°F, 4.6°F below the 20th century average and dipping below the previous record cold July that occurred in 1967. The Indiana average temperature was 69.2°F, 5.3°F below the 20th century average, slightly cooler than the previous record cold July of 2009. Although most corn producing areas in the Midwest have experienced excellent growing conditions during 2014, in northern areas, from North Dakota to Michigan, a cool and wet 2014 growing season might cause corn crops to not reach full maturation before harvest.
  • There were more than twice as many record cool temperatures during July (5,508) than record warm temperatures (2,605), with most of the cool temperature records (3,333) being cool daytime temperatures and most of the warm temperature records (1,882) being warm nighttime temperatures.
  • Above-average temperatures were observed from the Intermountain West to the Pacific Coast. Six states had one of their 10 warmest Julys on record, but no state was record warm for the month. The above-average temperatures, combined with long-term dryness, created ideal wildfire conditions across the West, where numerous large wildfires charred hundreds of thousands of acres during July.
  • Much of Alaska was warmer than average during July, especially along the western Gulf of Alaska coast and the Alaska Peninsula. Cold Bay had its warmest month of any month on record, with an average temperature of 55.8°F. Above-average precipitation was observed across interior regions of the state and the Alaska Panhandle, where Fairbanks and Juneau both had their second wettest July on record.

Climate Highlights –€” June

  • The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during June was 69.6°F, 1.1°F above the 20th century average, ranking as the 33rd warmest June in the 120-year period of record. The average maximum (daytime) June temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 81.8°F, 0.4°F above the 20th century average, while the average minimum (nighttime) June temperature was 57.4°F, 1.7°F above the 20th century average, tying as the 10th warmest June minimum temperature.
  • Above-average June temperatures were observed along the East Coast and into the Midwest. The Southwest was also warmer than average, where Arizona and California both had their 11th warmest June on record. No state had a top 10 warm June.
  • Interestingly, in much of the Lower Mississippi Valley and mid-South, afternoon temperatures were below average, while nighttime temperatures were much above average. This likely reflects a relatively wet and cloudy summer month acting to moderate both afternoon and overnight temperatures.
  • Climate Highlights –€” May
  • A large portion of the central U.S. had temperatures near the 20th century average, while above-average temperatures were observed along the West Coast and the East Coast. California tied its ninth warmest May on record, with a statewide temperature 3.9°F above average. This marked the seventh consecutive month with above-average temperatures for California. No other state had May temperatures that ranked among the 10 warmest or coldest on record.
  • Climate Highlights –€” April
  • The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during April was 51.7°F, which was 0.7°F above the 20th century average. This was the 46th warmest April in the 120-year period of record.
  • Much of the contiguous U.S. had April temperatures near the 20th century average. Above-average temperatures were scattered along the West Coast and in the Southwest, the Southern Plains, and across parts of the Ohio Valley and the Southeast. Below-average temperatures were observed across parts of the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains. No state had April temperatures among their 10 warmest or coolest.
  • Alaska had the 12th warmest April of its 96-year period of record, with a temperature 3.8°F above the 1971-2000 average. This was the warmest April for Alaska since 2007. Much of the warmth was situated in western Alaska, where Nome had its fourth warmest April since local records began in 1907. The April precipitation total in Alaska was 23.3 percent below the 1971-2000 average, the 23rd driest April on record. Anchorage had its fifth driest April with only nine percent of normal monthly precipitation.
  • Climate Highlights –€” March 2014
  • Below-average temperatures dominated the eastern half of the contiguous U.S. during March. The largest departures from average occurred across the Great Lakes and Northeast, where nine states had temperatures that ranked among their 10 coldest on record. The persistent cold resulted in nearly two-thirds of the Great Lakes remaining frozen into early April.
  • Vermont had its coldest March on record, with a statewide temperature of 18.3°F, 8.9°F below average. The previous coldest March in Vermont occurred in 1916 when the monthly average temperature was 18.6°F.
  • Most locations from the Rockies westward had above-average March temperatures. California had its ninth warmest March, with a statewide temperature 4.7°F above average. No state was record warm for March.
  • On March 22nd, a large landslide impacted the Stillaguamish Valley near the town of Oso, Wash., causing at least 30 fatalities. Washington's Climate Division 3, in which the landslide occurred, observed its wettest March on record. Its 8.67 inches of precipitation during March was more than twice the monthly average.
  • According to the April 1 U.S. Drought Monitor report, 38.4 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, up from 35.9 percent at the beginning of March. Beneficial precipitation fell in California during March, but did little to improve drought conditions –€” 23.5 percent of the state remained in the worst classification of drought ("exceptional"). Drought conditions intensified across parts of the Central and Southern Plains and expanded into parts of the Southeast.
  • According to NOAA data analyzed by the Rutgers Global Snow Lab, March snow cover extent across the contiguous U.S. was the 22nd largest in the 48-year period of record at 845,000 square miles, about 104,000 square miles above the 1981-2010 average. Above-average snow cover was observed across the Northern Plains and Rockies, Midwest and Northeast where numerous storms brought heavy snowfall during the month. Below-average snow cover was observed for most of the West and southern Rockies due to season-long snow deficits.
  • Climate Highlights –€” February
  • According to the March 4 U.S. Drought Monitor report, 35.9 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, down from 37.4 percent at the beginning of February. Drought conditions improved across the western Gulf Coast states, while drought intensified in the Southern Plains. Some minor drought relief occurred in the West, when a late-winter storm dropped heavy precipitation across the region, but 22.4 percent of California continued to experience the worst classification of drought, known as D4 or "exceptional", with mountain snowpack still much below average.
  • There were 1.75 times as many record cold daily highs (2,205) and lows (1,276, or a total of 3,481) as many warm daily highs (945) and lows (1,043, or a total of 1,988).
  • According to NOAA data analyzed by the Rutgers Global Snow Lab, the February snow cover extent for the contiguous U.S. was 1.48 million square miles, 282,000 square miles above the 1981-2010 average. This was the ninth largest February snow cover extent in the 48-year period of record for the contiguous U.S. and the largest since 2010.
  • Based on NOAA's Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index (REDTI) , the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand during February was 25 percent above average and the 33rd highest in the 1895-2014 period of record.

 

  • Climate Highlights –€” January 2014
  • The average temperature for the contiguous United States during January was 30.3°F, or 0.1°F below the 20th century average. The January 2014 temperature ranked near the middle of the 120-year period of record, and was the coldest January since 2011. Despite some of the coldest Arctic air outbreaks to impact the East in several years, no state had their coldest January on record.
  • Above-average temperatures were observed from the Rockies, westward. Arizona, California, and Nevada each had January temperatures ranking among the 10 warmest on record. No state had an average monthly temperature that was record warm.
  • There were more than two and a half as many record cold daily highs (2620) and lows (2174, or a total of 4794) as record warm daily highs (820) and lows (948, or a total of 1768).


All of the maps on this page are from the National Climatic Data Center