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Yes, with one qualification that matters. The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), part of NOAA, reports that September 2026 was the warmest September on record for the contiguous United States, which excludes Alaska and Hawaii. The headline’s “U.S.” is broader than the ranking NCEI published.
NCEI puts the contiguous average for the month at 69.4°F, which is 4.6°F above the 20th-century average. The previous September record was 68.95°F, set in 1998.
What the record measures
The ranking is based on the monthly mean temperature averaged across the contiguous states. Each year’s September is compared with a 20th-century baseline, and NCEI’s ranking covers a record that begins in 1895, a span of 132 years. A monthly national average tells you how the month compared overall. It does not mean every location or every day set a record.
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How September 2026 compares with 1998
The comparison that defines the record is between this September and the previous contiguous September record. The values below are the figures NCEI reports.
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| Measure | September 2026 | Previous record (September 1998) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean contiguous U.S. temperature | 69.4°F | 68.95°F |
| Departure from 20th-century average | +4.6°F | Not stated in NCEI’s summary |
| Ranking period | Record begins 1895 | Not stated in NCEI’s summary |
| Source | NOAA NCEI, September 2026 monthly summary | Same NCEI report, prior-record comparison |
The gap of about 0.45°F comes from subtracting the two reported values, 69.4°F and 68.95°F. NOAA does not publish that difference as a separate statistic, and because both figures are rounded, the exact margin may differ slightly. Quote the two averages rather than the gap.
Where the heat was concentrated
NCEI describes above- to much-above-average temperatures across much of the interior United States, extending to the East Coast. The largest areas of record-warm September temperatures were over the southern and central Plains and the Mississippi Valley.
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The record was not uniform. Parts of northern California and the Pacific Northwest were below average for the month. NCEI reports that eight states had their warmest September on record. The summary names Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma among them, and notes that five of the eight state records date to the 1920s or 1930s.
Nighttime temperatures are a separate measure
NCEI also reports unusual warmth at night, which it measures differently from the monthly mean. The contiguous average minimum temperature exceeded the previous September record, set in 2019, by more than 1.2°F. By county-average minimum temperature, more than 30% of the contiguous area had its warmest September nighttime temperatures on record. NCEI estimates about 80 million people live in that area.
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These are not the same ranking as the 69.4°F mean. If you cite the nighttime figures, label them as minimum temperatures, not as the monthly average.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the record does not establish
- It does not mean every U.S. jurisdiction, including Alaska and Hawaii, set a record. The ranking covers the contiguous states only.
- It does not mean every region was equally warm. The below-average areas in northern California and the Pacific Northwest are part of the same month.
- It is a single month. NCEI’s summary describes the temperature outcome, not its causes, and one monthly record does not by itself quantify how much climate change contributed.
Several web pages repeat the headline, including a ScienceX Innovations listing dated October 9, 2026, which links onward to a Scientific American piece. Those pages add the title, not additional data. The figures in this article come from NOAA’s NCEI September 2026 monthly summary.
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How to cite it accurately
- Name the source: NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, September 2026 monthly summary.
- Use the scope: “contiguous United States,” not “U.S.” without qualification.
- Give the figure and its baseline together: 69.4°F mean, 4.6°F above the 20th-century average.
- Keep the comparison to the 1998 record of 68.95°F and say the margin is derived from rounded values.
- Report nighttime minimum-temperature results separately from the monthly mean.
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