Warmest states in America
Globally, 2023 was the warmest year on record.
The planet's average temperature reached 2.45 F above the pre-industrial average. During the record year, Antarctic sea ice extent hit new lows, a busy Pacific hurricane season rocked the west coasts of the U.S. and Mexico, and Canadian wildfires hurt air quality for millions.
In the U.S., every state's meteorological temperature for 2023 was above their averages in the prior century.
Global warming is measured by land surface temperature, whereas air or meteorological temperature determines the daily weather forecast and how it will "feel" outside.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, surface temperatures are also increasing in the contiguous U.S. Since the late 1990s, these increases have become both more severe and more consistent. The surface temperature has increased every year in the 21st century thus far.
When comparing meteorological temperatures, summer 2021 (June to August) was the hottest summer period on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That year, a heat wave in June and July brought record heat to the Pacific Northwest, and California's Death Valley reached 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
The summer temperature record for the contiguous U.S. was almost set again in 2022 but was 0.05 F shy of 2021's 74 F average.
In 2023, the average temperature in the mainland U.S. was 54.4 degrees F, which breaks down to 73 F in the summer and 34.9 F in the winter.
Stacker compiled data from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information to find the warmest states based on their 2023 average temperatures. Each temperature is compared to the 1901-2000 average. Winter refers to December of the preceding year through February of the current year (e.g., in 1919, winter is December 1918 to February 1919), while summer refers to June through August of each year. All temperatures are listed in Fahrenheit, and data was not available for Hawaii.
Although the warmer climate of southern coastal states is often appealing, these regions also deal with meteorological phenomena—from droughts and floods to tropical storms and hurricanes—that can be devastating. Despite this, in recent years, Florida, Texas, and the Carolinas were the four states with the most significant population increase, which suggests a correlation between year-round warm temperatures; mild, short winters; and living preferences.
Read on to find out the temperatures in the warmest U.S. states, and see what the coldest states in America are here.
#24. West Virginia
- Average temperature, 2023: 53.9 F (2.4 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 65.3 F (2.5 F above average)
- Average low: 42.6 F (2.3 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 69.4 F (0.7 F below average)
- Average winter temperature: 38.3 F (6.2 F above average)
#23. Indiana
- Average temperature, 2023: 54.4 F (3.1 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 65.0 F (3.0 F above average)
- Average low: 43.7 F (3.1 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 71.8 F (0.6 F below average)
- Average winter temperature: 35.5 F (6.7 F above average)
#22. Illinois
- Average temperature, 2023: 54.8 F (3.1 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 65.3 F (3.2 F above average)
- Average low: 44.2 F (3.0 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 73.4 F (0.0 F below average)
- Average winter temperature: 33.7 F (5.6 F above average)
#21. New Mexico
- Average temperature, 2023: 55.3 F (2.5 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 70.5 F (2.7 F above average)
- Average low: 40.2 F (2.2 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 74.3 F (3.4 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 36.7 F (1.4 F above average)
#20. New Jersey
- Average temperature, 2023: 55.4 F (3.9 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 65.5 F (3.9 F above average)
- Average low: 45.2 F (4.0 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 72.5 F (1.3 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 38.6 F (7.5 F above average)
#19. Kansas
- Average temperature, 2023: 56.3 F (2.2 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 69.3 F (2.6 F above average)
- Average low: 43.3 F (1.7 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 76.8 F (0.3 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 32.9 F (1.6 F above average)
#18. Maryland
- Average temperature, 2023: 57.3 F (3.5 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 67.7 F (3.7 F above average)
- Average low: 46.9 F (3.4 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 74.1 F (1.1 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 40.4 F (6.6 F above average)
#17. Missouri
- Average temperature, 2023: 57.4 F (2.9 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 68.8 F (3.1 F above average)
- Average low: 46.0 F (2.7 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 76.1 F (0.6 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 36.8 F (4.7 F above average)
#16. Virginia
- Average temperature, 2023: 57.5 F (2.7 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 68.7 F (2.8 F above average)
- Average low: 46.3 F (2.6 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 73.0 F (0.1 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 42.1 F (6.0 F above average)
#15. Delaware
- Average temperature, 2023: 57.8 F (3.6 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 67.8 F (3.6 F above average)
- Average low: 47.7 F (3.6 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 74.6 F (1.3 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 41.2 F (6.5 F above average)
#14. Kentucky
- Average temperature, 2023: 58.1 F (2.6 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 69.2 F (2.5 F above average)
- Average low: 46.9 F (2.7 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 74.0 F (0.6 F below average)
- Average winter temperature: 42.0 F (6.5 F above average)
#13. California
- Average temperature, 2023: 58.2 F (0.8 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 70.2 F (0.2 F above average)
- Average low: 46.2 F (1.4 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 73.8 F (1.6 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 42.9 F (0.6 F below average)
#12. Tennessee
- Average temperature, 2023: 59.9 F (2.3 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 71.1 F (1.9 F above average)
- Average low: 48.8 F (2.7 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 75.2 F (0.5 F below average)
- Average winter temperature: 44.8 F (5.9 F above average)
#11. North Carolina
- Average temperature, 2023: 60.7 F (2.2 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 71.9 F (2.0 F above average)
- Average low: 49.6 F (2.4 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 75.6 F (0.2 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 46.5 F (5.4 F above average)
#10. Arizona
- Average temperature, 2023: 60.7 F (1.4 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 75.0 F (1.5 F above average)
- Average low: 46.5 F (1.2 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 79.4 F (2.1 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 41.7 F (0.6 F below average)
#9. Oklahoma
- Average temperature, 2023: 61.8 F (2.2 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 74.3 F (2.5 F above average)
- Average low: 49.4 F (1.8 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 80.8 F (1.0 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 42.1 F (3.2 F above average)
#8. Arkansas
- Average temperature, 2023: 62.9 F (2.5 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 73.9 F (2.2 F above average)
- Average low: 51.9 F (2.7 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 79.9 F (1.2 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 46.1 F (4.7 F above average)
#7. South Carolina
- Average temperature, 2023: 64.2 F (1.8 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 75.4 F (1.4 F above average)
- Average low: 53.1 F (2.3 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 78.7 F (0.1 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 50.9 F (5.2 F above average)
#6. Alabama
- Average temperature, 2023: 65.4 F (2.3 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 76.8 F (1.9 F above average)
- Average low: 54.0 F (2.8 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 80.0 F (1.1 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 52.4 F (5.8 F above average)
#5. Georgia
- Average temperature, 2023: 65.7 F (2.3 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 77.1 F (2.1 F above average)
- Average low: 54.1 F (2.5 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 79.7 F (1.0 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 53.0 F (5.7 F above average)
#4. Mississippi
- Average temperature, 2023: 66.7 F (3.0 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 78.1 F (2.8 F above average)
- Average low: 55.2 F (3.2 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 82.0 F (2.2 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 52.8 F (6.0 F above average)
#3. Texas
- Average temperature, 2023: 68.0 F (3.4 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 80.6 F (3.5 F above average)
- Average low: 55.5 F (3.3 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 85.3 F (4.0 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 51.2 F (3.9 F above average)
#2. Louisiana
- Average temperature, 2023: 69.6 F (3.2 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 80.2 F (3.1 F above average)
- Average low: 59.0 F (3.4 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 84.9 F (3.8 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 56.1 F (5.2 F above average)
#1. Florida
- Average temperature, 2023: 73.4 F (3.2 F above 1901-2000 average)
- Average high: 83.6 F (2.7 F above average)
- Average low: 63.1 F (3.7 F above average)
- Average summer temperature: 83.2 F (2.7 F above average)
- Average winter temperature: 63.7 F (5.0 F above average)
Story editing by Ashleigh Graf. Copy editing by Paris Close.