According to data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the contiguous United States experienced its highest average temperature on record this past July. The average temperature for the mainland 48 states and Washington, D.C., was recorded at 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit.

While both reports agree on the record-breaking average temperature, they provide different context regarding how this figure compares to historical data. The Hill notes that the temperature was approximately 0.1 to 0.2 degrees higher than the previous records set in July 1936 and July 2012. Conversely, the Washington Examiner emphasizes the deviation from long-term climate trends, reporting that the temperature was roughly 3 degrees higher than the average recorded throughout the 20th century.

Both outlets rely on data provided by the National Centers for Environmental Information to substantiate these findings. The reports confirm that the record-keeping for these temperature averages spans over a century, providing a baseline for the current findings. Despite the shared data source, the outlets differ in their focus: one highlights the narrow margin by which the record was broken compared to past heat waves, while the other frames the data within the broader context of 20th-century averages.