July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded in Palm Springs
The results are in: July was officially the warmest month in the history of Palm Springs.
The average temperature in July was 98.5 degrees, making it the hottest month since records began in 1922 and beating out the previous record of 97.6 degrees in July 2021, according to the National Weather Service.
Warmest average monthly temperatures in Palm Springs:
July 2023: 98.5
July 2021: 97.6
July 2018: 97.4
August 2020: 97.3
July 2006: 97.2
August 2022: 96.9
July 2017: 96.8
July 2022: 96.1
August 2018: 96
Much of Southwest US experienced the hottest July on record as shown here in red including Las Vegas, Phoenix and Palm Springs #heat #summer #cawx pic.twitter.com/UutsENKHzF
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) August 4, 2023
Five of the nine warmest months have occurred since 2020, and eight of the nine warmest months have occurred in the past 10 years, showing how climate change is driving up average temperatures in the region. Climate change is expected to push average high temperatures in the Coachella Valley up by 8 to 14 degrees by the end of this century
More: How hot is it? What you need to know about extreme summer heat in the desert this summer
Palm Springs wasn't alone in its record-setting month. Much of the Southwest U.S. experienced the hottest July on record, including Las Vegas and Phoenix, which experienced a record 31 consecutive days with temperatures of 110 degrees or higher. In California's Death Valley, temperatures reached 128 degrees, nearing the hottest air temperature ever recorded on Earth.
July 2023 was also the world's hottest month on record. In the U.S., 244 million people, or 73% of the population, experienced at least one day in July "with temperatures made at least three times more likely due to human caused-climate change," according to Climate Central.
More: In California’s hottest county, a race to prevent heat deaths among unhoused people
And it doesn't look like August will provide much relief. The Coachella Valley is under an excessive heat warning from 10 a.m. Saturday until 8 p.m. Monday, and NOAA's monthly temperature outlook for August shows a 33-40% to 40 to 50% probability of above normal temperatures in southeastern California.
The Coachella Valley can expect weekend high temperatures to reach 115 degrees before dropping to 113 degrees on Monday and then near 110 degrees by the middle of next week.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs summer temperatures: July 2023 hottest month on record
