The nation has experienced a wide variety of extreme weather over the last 125 years. But what’s extreme in one locale is obviously not always extreme in another, and what seemed extreme decades ago might now be commonplace. So, for everyone who’s ever wondered, “Is this weather normal?” USAFacts created the Climate in the United States experience. And as a newsletter subscriber, you’re getting early access before it launches tomorrow. 

What can you do with this new tool? Use it to track monthly average temperatures on a local level. Check total precipitation where you live and around the country to see where it’s getting wetter or drier. Compare 20th-century averages against unexpected weather events for a fuller idea of what’s “normal.” 

• Native Americans and Native Alaskans are nearly two times more likely to live in areas experiencing abnormal climates. They’re 2.3 times more likely to be in colder than normal climates and 1.7 times likelier to be in hotter climates. 

• Florida is experiencing more monthly extremes than other states, with 40 out of 67 counties having more than 20% of their months in the past decade categorized as abnormal. 

• Nationwide, 42% of counties have experienced months with record-high precipitation since 2000. 
   
• In June 2021, 231 million people experienced normal temperatures. However, 97 million people lived in hotter climates, reflecting the heatwave that stretched across the American West in late June. 

Additional metrics on storms and an even more granular look at extreme weather with local-level metrics is coming later this year. Click here for a first look at Climate in the US and see how counties experience severe weather.

What else is new at USAFacts? 

September is Suicide Prevention Month. To understand who is most at risk for suicide in the United States, USAFacts analyzed information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide was the second-leading cause of death in 2019 for people ages 10-34 and the fourth-leading cause of death for people ages 35-44. Learn more in this new report.

Plus, see an analysis of the jobs added to the US economy in August. While the 235,000 jobs added were fewer than in June and July, the overall unemployment rate dropped 0.2 percentage points to 5.2%.  

USAFacts is partnering with The Wall Street Journal to provide readers with more facts on how the US government spends and earns money. The partnership includes a dive into the 2021 Annual Report. Read it here. 

One last fact