The central U.S. warming 'hole' is driven by summer daytime temperatures

The map shows the change in the average summer daily maximum or high temperature between the first part of the 20th century (1901-1960) and the last 30 years (1995-2024).

The maximum temperature is the highest temperature of the day (naturally falling in the daytime), and the average monthly maximum is the average of each day's highest temperature for that month. Warming or cooling was calculated as the difference between the average summer maximum temperature from 1901-1960 and from 1995-2024. Alaska and Hawaii do not have full data from 1895 to the present, so these states cannot be included in the analysis.
Chart: Chris MooneySource: NOAA/NCEICreated with Datawrapper