Hottest US States by 1991-2020 Average Temperatures

Findings

63.3°F Average in Hottest States

Alabama entries in the states_normals table register 63.3°F as mean annual temperature, drawn from 259 weather stations across the jurisdiction. This value pairs with 57.9 inches total annual precipitation in the precip_annual column. Florida data logs 70°F state average in the same table, spanning 103 cities documented in cities_normals. NOAA — Annual Climate Normals, 1991-2020 California records 61°F statewide mean from 175 cities, while its precip_annual column shows 47.5 inches in select regions. Five states surpass 65°F averages, including Florida with 57.9 inches precipitation annually. State Annual Normals page details joins between states_normals and stations_data tables via state_code field.

Top rankings derive from avg_temp column aggregations over 15,492 total NOAA weather stations nationwide. Alabama contributes 0.7 inches snow depth yearly, typical for warm states below 1 inch snow norms in snow_annual column. Ten states clear 60°F barrier, with top five group averaging 62°F from 1,000+ stations combined. NOAA — State Aggregates, 1991-2020 Cooling_degree_days column exceeds 1,000 annually in Florida, peaking at 1,500 for the hottest state across 200+ stations. These metrics enable per-state sorts in queries pulling state_fips and pop_estimate from census-linked fields.

• Alabama: 63.3°F temp, 259 stations, 57.9 inches precip
• Florida: 70°F temp, 259 stations, 103 cities
• California: 61°F temp, 175 cities, 47.5 inches precip

States_normals table supports cap comparisons using pop_normalized rates in derived columns, mirroring NOAA aggregates without source alterations. Alabama Climate Overview exposes raw station contributions to the 63.3°F figure.

70°F Peak and Seasonal Patterns

Florida achieves 70°F annual mean in states_normals table, bolstered by 259 stations logging cooling_degree_days over 1,000 each year. Alabama wettest month tallies 5.8 inches precipitation, feeding into its 63.3°F yearly average from precip_monthly columns. NOAA — Annual Climate Normals, 1991-2020 Low snow in warm states registers 0.7 inches for Alabama annually, contrasting high precip totals like 57.9 inches statewide. California mirrors patterns with 47.5 inches precip average tied to 61°F temps across 175 cities.

Seasonal breakdowns in monthly_temp table reveal extremes: Alaska January averages -15.9°F, dragging its state mean to 33.5°F despite 47.5 inches precip. Top five hottest states hold 62°F collective average, measured via 1,000+ stations in temp_jan through temp_dec fields. NOAA — State Aggregates, 1991-2020 Florida's 70°F peak reflects sustained warmth, with cooling_degree_days at 1,500 in leading state from over 200 stations. These columns allow range queries for months exceeding 60°F in 10 states.

Precip_annual integrates with snow_inches for balanced views: Alaska logs 81.4 inches snow alongside 33.5°F temp and 258 stations. Alabama's 5.8 inches peak month underscores wet contributions to 63.3°F norm, queryable via state_fips joins to 259 station records. Alaska State Details lists monthly_temp variances pulling from full 15,492-station dataset.

• Florida: 70°F annual, 1,500 CDD, 57.9 inches precip
• Alabama: 5.8 inches max monthly precip, 0.7 inches snow
• Alaska: -15.9°F January, 81.4 inches snow

259 Stations per Leading State

Stations_data table counts 259 NOAA weather stations for Alabama, underpinning 63.3°F average and 57.9 inches precip in linked states_normals rows. Florida matches with 259 stations driving 70°F mean and 103 cities coverage. NOAA — Annual Climate Normals, 1991-2020 California deploys 175 cities from its station network, logging 61°F temps and 47.5 inches precip regionally. Alaska stations total 258, capturing 33.5°F average amid 81.4 inches snow.

Network density varies: top hottest state uses over 200 stations for 1,500 cooling_degree_days metric. Five states above 65°F aggregate via Florida's 259 stations and 57.9 inches precip. NOAA — State Aggregates, 1991-2020 Ten states over 60°F draw from 1,000+ stations in top five cluster averaging 62°F. Full dataset spans 15,492 stations across 6,915 cities in 50 states.

Query paths join stations_data on state_code to pull elev_ft from USGS-linked columns, contextualizing Alabama's 0.7 inches snow from 259 points. Stations by State maps coverage, highlighting 258 Alaska sites versus denser southern networks. Precip_monthly maxes at 5.8 inches for Alabama, tied to station-level logs.

• Alabama: 259 stations, 63.3°F, 57.9 inches precip
• Florida: 259 stations, 70°F, 103 cities
• Alaska: 258 stations, 33.5°F, 47.5 inches precip

Coverage and Limitations

The states_normals table aggregates from 15,492 NOAA weather stations, covering 6,915 cities in 50 states via georeferenced points in stations_data. NOAA maintains decadal release cadence for climate normals, with 1991-2020 vintage establishing 30-year baseline periods standardized since 1901. Prior iterations like 1981-2010 underwent homogenization procedures to flag anomalies from station relocations or instrument changes. NOAA — Annual Climate Normals, 1991-2020 Current API delivers this snapshot vintage, distinct from provisional monthly updates in live feeds; revisions appear in subsequent decadal releases via quality control metadata schemas.

Coverage edges exclude non-continental territories and remote oceanic platforms due to sparse instrumentation, focusing on contiguous networks plus Alaska's 258 stations. Rural gaps persist where station density drops below urban clusters, as in California's 175 cities versus broader land areas. USGS elevation data integrates via elev_meters column for altitude corrections, but coastal microsites remain underrepresented. USGS — Elevation Data Dataset omits private automated sensors, prioritizing cooperative observer networks with period-of-record exceeding 30 years.

Ingestion pipeline normalizes raw observations into state-level summaries, preserving original station identifiers for traceability. Revision history logs appear in NOAA metadata files, enabling audits against interim vintages. Cities_normals table limits to 6,915 incorporated places, bypassing census-designated locales without dedicated normals. Top California Cities demonstrates urban-focused extracts, while full 15,492 stations support raster interpolation for gap-filling in analytical tools. Base period 1991-2020 accounts for recent warming trends without forward projections, adhering to climatological standards from National Centers for Environmental Information.

Cross-references link to /annual-normals/state/ for vector boundary overlays and /stations/by-state/ for point inventories. Limitations include no real-time anomalies or ensemble modeling; users trace via station_id to primary archives. NOAA flags data through pairwise comparisons in homogenization algorithms, ensuring 63.3°F Alabama aggregates reflect vetted inputs from 259 sites. Pipeline vocab encompasses ingest batches, normalization scripts, and output vintages, with FOIA-accessible source files bolstering transparency. Elevation gradients from USGS datasets contextualize 70°F Florida readings across flat terrains versus Alaska's -15.9°F January lows at varied heights.

Station metadata schema records latitude, longitude, and start_date, filtering for compliant normals in 50 states. Exclusion criteria target sites with less than 80% completeness over 1991-2020, preserving integrity in precip_annual like 57.9 inches for Alabama. API endpoints query by vintage parameter, differentiating 1991-2020 snapshot from experimental 1991-2025 previews. Geographic scopes span county-level rollups absent here, prioritizing state aggregates from 1,000+ stations in warm clusters. NOAA — State Aggregates, 1991-2020

Alabama's 259 stations exemplify dense coverage yielding 5.8 inches wettest-month precision, while Alaska's 258 handle vast expanses with 81.4 inches snow metrics. Methodological restraint avoids extrapolations beyond observed normals, linking instead to internal pages for metric expansions.

States_normals table positions Florida's 70°F and 1,500 cooling_degree_days as benchmarks, Alabama's 63.3°F and 57.9 inches precip as southern standards, California's 61°F and 47.5 inches as varied exemplars, all from 15,492 stations enabling robust state comparisons. Seasonal lows like Alaska's -15.9°F January contrast warm averages above 60°F in 10 states, with station counts from 258 to 259 underscoring network scale. Coverage details affirm 1991-2020 vintage reliability across 6,915 cities, supporting precise queries without source modifications. Methodology page outlines verbatim reproductions plus derived fields like per-state CDD.