For most Americans, memories of childhood summers conjure images of pool parties, beach outings, long days, and warm, starry nights. Even though you can't remember your first summer, based on scientific data, it is safe to say it was most likely one of the coolest of your life, regardless of when you were born.
For millions—especially in the western third of the country—the excitement for summer vacation months has become apprehension and forethought. Recollections of wildfires, dense smoke, arid land, heat waves, and drought have replaced the imagery of fun outdoor activities.
From West Texas to the Pacific Coast, summer average temperatures have progressively risen from 2 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit in the last five decades. The summer of 2024 wasn't just hot for the United States—it was the warmest ever recorded across the planet, with an average global temperature of more than 62 degrees Fahrenheit.
Though the data has yet to come in for the summer of 2025, the season has already proven to be a scorcher. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that July 2025 ranked as Earth's third-warmest July, following the Julys of 2024 and 2023. Meanwhile, this summer has also been marked by new overnight temperature records across the eastern U.S. and catastrophic flooding events, particularly in the Texas Hill Country in early July.
As we await more detailed information about the summers of 2024 and 2025, Stacker consulted data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to illustrate what summer weather was like in the U.S. from 1950 to 2023. Summer is defined as June, July, and August. Each metric is ranked relative to the entire time span, while average comparisons look at the historical average from 1901 to 2000.
What was the weather like for your very first summer? Take a look, and you may remember more than you think—or learn something new about summers before your time.
