When's Your Hottest Day of the Year?

Most Americans sweat through their peak heat in late July, but the calendar varies wildly depending on where you live.

San Francisco residents don't hit their hottest until October 2—among the latest in the country. Marine fog keeps the California coast cool through summer, delaying the heat until fall. Meanwhile, folks in Terlingua, Texas, are already past their worst by mid-June. Their thermometers top out on June 11, right before monsoon season brings clouds and rain that knock down the extreme temperatures.

The Heat Calendar

Late July marks peak misery for most of the United States, according to 30-year temperature averages. But exceptions abound:

New Orleans sizzles most on August 3, though honestly, the entire summer there feels within a degree or two of unbearable. Buffalo hits its high on July 20. Way up in Fairbanks, Alaska, the mercury peaks on July 2—their brief taste of warmth before the long slide back to winter.