State Rankings Identify the Hottest Octobers Since 1895 as Recent Years Dominate
The lists draw on NOAA’s NCEI records to contextualize statewide heat records within a long-term warming trend.
Overview
- Local outlets on Oct. 17 republished Stacker’s state-by-state rankings of the hottest Octobers using NCEI data dating back to 1895.
- Entries are ranked by statewide average temperature and include each month’s statewide high and low plus total precipitation.
- Arizona’s top October is 2024 at an average 67.9°F with a monthly high of 84.1°F, and Texas’ warmest October is 2024 at 72.8°F with a monthly high of 87.0°F. California’s hottest October is 2020 at 66.2°F, Colorado’s record is a tie between 2024 and 1963 at 52.8°F, and Oregon’s peak is 1988 at 55.4°F.
- NOAA reporting cited in the lists notes global temperatures have risen about 0.14°F per decade since 1880, and the compilations are retrospective rather than new October 2025 records.