Oklahoma's 2011 summer sets national mark for hottest season on record

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Oklahoma -- and not Texas as first thought -- had the hottest summer in U.S. history last year, inching out the Lone Star state by two-tenths of a degree.

In the final tally, national climatologists say Oklahoma's summer averaged 86.9 degrees and Texas came in at 86.7 degrees.

Deke Arndt of the National Climatic Data Center says Oklahoma surpassed its own heat record of 85.2 degrees set in 1934.

Last year, Oklahoma had experienced unusually dry, hot weather since the spring, and routine triple-digit temperatures fueled wildfires, prompted burn bans and led to water rationing in some communities.

Because Oklahoma had an unseasonably warm spring this year, some climatologists are predicting that summer may not be as scorching as 2011, but will be hot enough to do the trick.