JOPLIN, Mo. (KSNF) — So far this summer, dangerous heat has made weather headlines across America as multiple heatwaves pushed temperatures into the triple digits throughout much of the nation.
When it comes to record-setting heat, the month of July is typically where you'll find it. In fact, much of the U.S. has its hottest day of the year by the end of July, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The Great Heat Wave of 1936 affected around 15 states during its multi-week run, bringing with it air temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The "1936 North American Heat Wave" (as it was also known) took place during the Great Depression and the 1930s Dust Bowl, causing more than 5,000 deaths in the U.S.
Many state and city record high temperatures were set during the summer heat wave of 1936. On July 18 and in the days that immediately followed, the heat reached its peak in parts of the Midwest.
The sweltering heat in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas caused the thermometer to reach unprecedented triple digits.
In Kansas, the highest recorded temperature in state history happened on July 18, 1936 in Fredonia where the mercury reached 121 degrees. A few days later on July 24, the same high temperature was reported near the small town of Alton in north central Kansas. These are among the highest recorded temperatures not just in Kansas history, but in American history.
July 18, 1936 was also a record-setting day in Oklahoma. The town of Alva, located in northwest Oklahoma, recorded a temperature of 120 — the highest ever in Oklahoma history. The same temperature was recorded the next day (July 19) in Altus, and again the following month (August 12) in Poteau, near the Oklahoma-Arkansas state line.
The Great Heat Wave of 1936 engulfed most of Arkansas, too. An all-time high temperature of 120 was recorded on August 10 in the town of Ozark in northwest Arkansas. To this day, it remains the Natural State's highest recorded temperature.
Ironically, the 1936 heat wave followed one of the coldest winters on record.
The 1954 heat wave was a record-breaking, 22-day event in July that affected 11 states.
According to one research article published in the American Meteorological Society, the heat wave of 1954 was caused by a combination of factors, including dry soil, a drought, a high-pressure system, and topography.
Parts of the Midwest, including Missouri, appear to have suffered the most extreme temperatures during the heatwave.
July 14, 1954 would end up being the hottest day in Missouri history. According to the Missouri Climate Center, the temperature reached 118 in Warsaw and in Union — towns that are 160 miles apart.
Ironically, Warsaw also holds the record for the coldest record temperature in state history — a very frigid 40 below zero was observed in the west central Missouri town on February 13, 1905.
As for the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth — look no further than the United States. California's Death Valley holds the world record which was set in July 1913 when the temperature there reached 134 degrees.
