It’s already been a brutal summer by any measure, with record-breaking temperatures affecting millions of people across the United States and parts of Europe. Although predicting the forecast for a given week is becoming more difficult due to climate change, historical data can still point us in the right direction. Barring all the chaos, when can anyone expect to endure the most stifling conditions of the season?

The Old Farmer’s Almanac He recently delved into nearly 30 years of weather data to determine the country’s hottest day of the year, and the answers may vary more than you might expect. As expected, July contains maximum temperatures in most of the US, but certainly not all.

“Many regions of the United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast, follow this pattern,” they explained. “However, this is not true for all regions.”

The northern areas of the country usually reach their maximum temperatures between mid-July and mid-August. Much of the western states experience their hottest days in early August. Most of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma are likely to face even more intense heat in the coming weeks, possibly towards the end of August.

There are some notable exceptions to these temperature trends. While most of the U.S. begins to feel some relief from the summer heat in August, ocean waters generally continue to warm well into September. Most of the west coast and southern Alaska also see colder Pacific air over warmer land, creating thick fog that can reduce temperatures in the summer months. Anyone who lives there should not expect a heat spike until September or even October. The same is also true in most of Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

The final result? Keep hanging on and stay hydrated.

2025 PopSci Best of what’s new

The 50 most important innovations of the year