More than half of the country experienced "moderate to
exceptional" drought conditions at the end of July, the hottest
month ever recorded. And the impact of this hot weather has been
felt across the nation as crops shrivel and wildfires rage out
of control. NBC's Rehema Ellis reports. It may come as little
surprise with this summer's sweaty nights and blistering days
across much of the country, but July marked the hottest month on
record for the contiguous United States, according to government
scientists. Furthermore, drought now covers nearly 63 percent of
the Lower 48 states, where average precipitation is 0.19 inch
below average. A bit of hope, though, was seen for some crops in
the Midwest thanks to cooler temperatures and rain. According to
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the
average temperature across the contiguous United States in July
was 77.6 Fahrenheit, a full 3.3 degrees above the 20th century
average. The previous warmest July was in 1936, when the
nation's average tempe