Western US Experiences Record Heat in July 2026

July 2026 brought unusually warm and, in some areas, wetter conditions to the western United States. In Jackson, Wyoming, a persistent ridge of high pressure created a heat dome that pushed daytime highs above 90 °F for several days, marking a rapid 40‑degree swing from late‑June lows. A northward‑moving desert‑southwest monsoon added moisture, raising dew points into the upper 40s‑50s and producing occasional thunderstorms, though temperatures remained above normal.

Meanwhile, Grand Junction, Colorado, endured an extended stretch of triple‑digit heat, recording 15 days above 100 °F and three consecutive days at 104 °F in mid‑July. The city saw 24 days with highs of 97 °F or higher, while rainfall was only 0.07 inches—far below the 0.59‑inch average—despite monsoon flow passing over the region. Both locations attribute the extreme warmth to sustained high‑pressure patterns and limited cloud cover, as reported by the National Weather Service and NOAA.

The anomalous heat and reduced precipitation underscore the broader climatic variability affecting the western United States during the summer of 2026.