What does this heat-wave days ranking show?

It orders states by Days in 3+ day 90°F heat waves. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

NOAA NCEI nClimGrid-Daily; NOAA RCC-ACIS supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Highest heat-wave days by state

Days in 3+ day 90°F heat waves.

This measure has no better end. The order describes the states, it does not rank them — see the other direction.

Days in the latest complete year that fell within a run of at least three consecutive county-average daily highs of 90°F or more. A five-day run counts as five days. This is a transparent hot-spell frequency measure, not a heat-health risk score, forecast, record-temperature count, overnight-heat, humidity, shade, air-conditioning, power reliability, or a measure of conditions at a particular address. County values use NOAA’s daily grid; the small set outside that grid use local NOAA climate-station observations. State figures are population-weighted county values.

How to read this ranking

Arizona has the highest published heat-wave days in this comparison, at 141 days. The next states shown are Texas (114 days) and Florida (103 days).

The table orders 50 states by days in 3+ day 90°f heat waves. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Days in the latest complete year that fell within a run of at least three consecutive county-average daily highs of 90°F or more. A five-day run counts as five days. This is a transparent hot-spell frequency measure, not a heat-health risk score, forecast, record-temperature count, overnight-heat, humidity, shade, air-conditioning, power reliability, or a measure of conditions at a particular address. County values use NOAA’s daily grid; the small set outside that grid use local NOAA climate-station observations. State figures are population-weighted county values.

1Arizona141 days
2Texas114 days
3Florida103 days
4Louisiana87 days
5Nevada85 days
6Mississippi77 days
7Arkansas58 days
8Oklahoma54 days
9Alabama49 days
10Georgia47 days
11New Mexico45 days
12California41 days
13South Carolina40 days
14Tennessee39 days
15Kansas37 days
16Missouri34 days
17Kentucky29 days
18North Carolina27 days
19Idaho27 days
20Colorado20 days
21Utah18 days
22Virginia16 days
23Maryland13 days
24Indiana12 days
25West Virginia12 days
26Nebraska12 days
27Ohio11 days
28Delaware10 days
29Illinois10 days
30Massachusetts9 days
31Connecticut8 days
32South Dakota8 days
33New Hampshire7 days
34New Jersey7 days
35Oregon7 days
36Iowa6 days
37Pennsylvania6 days
38Washington6 days
39Michigan5 days
40New York5 days
41Wyoming5 days
42Hawaii4 days
43Rhode Island4 days
44North Dakota4 days
45Maine3 days
46Montana2 days
47Wisconsin2 days
48Minnesota0 days
49Vermont0 days
50Alaska0 days

Not ranked, because this measure is not published for them: District of Columbia. Four county-equivalents had no qualifying NOAA daily record in 2025 and are left unavailable rather than estimated.

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Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Days in 3+ day 90°F heat waves. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: NOAA NCEI nClimGrid-Daily; NOAA RCC-ACIS. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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<iframe src="https://movermath.com/embed/heat-wave-days" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Days in 3+ day 90°F heat waves by state"></iframe>

Source: NOAA NCEI nClimGrid-Daily; NOAA RCC-ACIS. · How this is built

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