NOAA Confirms July 2012 Hottest Month in US History

As previously indicated at CapitalClimate, the contiguous 48 states were on track in July for the hottest month in U.S. history, and that has now been confirmed within the past hour by the NOAA National Climatic Data Center:

The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during July was 77.6°F, 3.3°F above the 20th century average, marking the warmest July and all-time warmest month on record for the nation in a period of record that dates back to 1895. The previous warmest July for the nation was July 1936, when the average U.S. temperature was 77.4°F.

Warmer-than-average conditions engulfed much of the contiguous U.S. during July, with the largest temperature departures from the 20th century average occurring across much of the Plains states, through the Midwest, and along the Eastern Seaboard. Virginia had its warmest July on record, with a statewide temperature 4.0°F above average. In total, 32 states had July temperatures among its ten warmest, with seven states having their second warmest July on record.

Updates to be added later.