June was the hottest month on record for Utah — and for the country.
According to a July 9 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a total of eight states marked the month as their hottest on record: Arizona, California, Idaho, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Utah.
The average temperature across the contiguous U.S. was 72.6 degrees — which is 4.2 degrees above average — making it the hottest June in 127 years of record keeping and surpassing the record set in June 2016 by 0.9 of a degree. In Death Valley this weekend, temperatures were expected to heat up to the 130s.
On June 15, Salt Lake City tied its highest temperature recorded in June at 107 degrees, which had only been reached twice in 147 years — in 2002 and 1960. This week, the temperature at the Salt Lake City airport reached 104 degrees on Wednesday, and the city recorded its 12th triple-digit high for the year on Friday at 101 degrees.
In St. George today the temperature reached 117 degrees, tying the all-time state record pending further investigation, according to the National Weather Service.
More triple-digit conditions are expected through early next week, with highs for Sunday and Monday at 102, and Tuesday at 100. The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings for parts of Utah through Monday at 9 p.m., and some localities in the valley have set up cooling centers to beat the heat.
As western states continue enduring a heat wave this month, drought, wildfire and water resource concerns have persisted. Two Utah towns have stopped building permits that require new water hookups to city water, and restrictions on lawn watering have been implemented throughout the state.
During extreme heat, the National Weather Service recommends avoiding strenuous activities, wearing light clothing and watching out for heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
(National Weather Service) The National Weather Service listed recommendations on its website for dealing with extreme heat.
