July Was Hottest Month Ever Recorded In Continental U.S.

This past month wasn't just the hottest July on record, it was the hottest month in the recorded history of the continental United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The average temperature for the country was 77.6 F, more than three degrees above the 20th century average.

The previous warmest July for the country was in 1936 when the average U.S. temperature was 77.4 F, the NOAA said.

This unprecedented heat continues the country's literal hot streak.

The first six months of the year were already the hottest January through June on record for the continental United States.

This July also caps the warmest 12-month period the country has experienced since recordkeeping began in 1895.

Additionally, statewide average temperatures dating to 1931 show .

Besides heat, another factor climatologists are keeping an eye on is precipitation.

While Ohio experienced normal precipitation levels in July, the country averaged 2.57 inches of rain -- .19 inch below average.

The middle of the country experienced near-record dry spells that caused the drought footprint to cover nearly 63 percent of the continental states, according the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The combined dryness and excessive heat has devastated crops and livestock from the Great Plains to midwest, according to NOAA.