July marked the hottest month on record for the lower 48. How did Palm Springs compare?

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The summer heat is on, and it's not just in the desert. Across the nation, this summer has broken records.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, July marked the warmest month for the contiguous United States since records began in 1895. Temperatures averaged 76.9°F nationwide.

NOAA wrote that figure lies 3.3°F warmer than the 20th-century average. It also marked the warmest July (and warmest month overall) by 0.1-0.2°F, beating out July 1936 and July 2012.

While the national average skyrocketed this July, the numbers in the desert showed a different story. The average high temperature in Palm Springs was 109.5°F this July. The average usually sits at 108.6°F. Still, this is shy of years past, like 2024, when Palm Springs had an average daily high temperature of 114.9°F.

Though still above average, Palm Springs didn't break any records last month. Extra monsoonal moisture helped limit the air temperature for our region.

For Palm Springs Unified School District, it led to some uncomfortable conditions for the first week of school, with humidity that made things feel worse than years past.

With heat and humidity being two of the main factors allowing students to be outside and participate in sports, we're checking in with the district on its Perry Weather Monitoring Systems, one year after they were installed.

District leaders told us they're helping create more transparency and improve their decision-making by factoring in hyper-local weather conditions when they decide to cancel outdoor practices.

We're breaking down the technology and the numbers behind the country's hottest month on record. Stay with us for our full report tonight on News Channel 3.