Record-breaking heat has already gripped parts of the United States so far this summer, but how does what you've seen this year and in the past stack up against some of the hottest temperatures ever observed in all 50 states?

The answer key is above, which has each state's all-time record plotted based on data compiled by NOAA. Note that in some cases the top temperature in a state has been tied in multiple years.

Highlights

• Records Are All 100+ Degrees: Believe it or not, that even includes Alaska, which hit 100 degrees at Fort Yukon on June 27, 1915. Hawaii is the only other state with a record of just 100 degrees because of the moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean.
• Most Recent Record-Breakers: Oregon, Washington and Utah all tied or broke their all-time records in the summer of 2021. Colorado, South Carolina and South Dakota are three other states that have tied broken state records this century.
• Western, Central U.S. Have Hottest Records: 11 states have seen all-time records of 120 degrees or higher in those regions, mainly in the Desert Southwest and Plains, with Arkansas and Washington being exceptions. California's Death Valley leads the way for the nation at 134 degrees, which is also the official worldwide record. Many of the records in the Plains were set in the 1930s Dust Bowl, although a couple of states have equaled those marks since. The Midwest has multiple states with records over 115 degrees, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri.
• Why Eastern U.S. Records Are "Coolest": Higher humidity from being closer in proximity to the Gulf and Atlantic waters means records in the Southeast and Northeast aren't as extreme. Humid air doesn't heat up as readily as drier air like we see in the West in summer where records are higher. That said, a majority of the Southeast states have records 110 degrees or hotter, with Florida being the exception. Several mid-Atlantic states from Virginia to Pennsylvania and New Jersey also have records at 110 degrees or hotter.
• July And August Are The Most Common Record Months: That's probably no surprise given its when the peak of summer's heat happens, on average, in most of the country. A few of the records have been set in late June, but the most oddball one is Alabama, where the all-time high of 112 degrees was set Sept. 6, 1925

Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with weather.com for 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.

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