WEATHER

Arizona sees extreme heat and cold. Here are the hottest, coldest temperatures on record

Zach Bradshaw
Arizona Republic

Arizona is one of the most unique states in the United States for its weather.

The Grand Canyon State experiences both extreme heat and extreme cold, depending on the time of the year and your location.

While the mountains of Flagstaff have become known as one of the snowiest areas in the country, the opposite in true in Phoenix, which is often considered one of the hottest cities in the county.

After a blistering summer with a record 113 consecutive days of 100-degree weather, it's hard to fathom that the state is predicted to have a colder-than-average winter. That means more records could be set during this cold weather season.

With all the extreme weather and temperature swings in Arizona, it's hard not to wonder, what are Arizona's most extreme weather days on record?

Here are some of the times the state experienced extreme weather, both hot and cold.

Phoenix heat records

Here are extreme heat facts for Phoenix, according to the National Weather Service.

  • The greatest number of 100-degree or greater days in Phoenix in a calendar year is 145, a record set in 2020.
  • The earliest 100-degree day of a calendar year was on March 26, which happened in 1988.
  • The latest 100-degree day of a calendar year was on Oct. 27, which happened in 2016.
  • The hottest day ever recorded in Phoenix was June 26, 1990, when the temperature reached a blistering 122 degrees.

How cold can it get in Phoenix?Here's the coldest temperature ever recorded in the Valley

Phoenix cold records

Here are extreme cold facts for Phoenix, according to the National Weather Service.

  • In 1964, Phoenix set a record for the greatest number of days with temperatures at or below 32 degrees in a calendar year. There were 35 days at or below freezing that year.
  • The coldest day ever recorded in Phoenix was on Jan. 7, 1913, when the temperature reached a frigid 16 degrees.
  • The top 3 coldest days ever recorded in Phoenix are as follows:
    • Jan. 7, 1913: 16 degrees
    • Jan. 6, 1913: 17 degrees
    • Jan. 8, 1913, and Jan. 7, 1971: 19 degrees

Tucson heat and cold records

Here are extreme heat and cold facts for Tucson, according to the National Weather Service.

  • The hottest day ever recorded in Tucson was June 26, 1990, the same day as Phoenix's hottest day ever recorded. In Tucson, temperatures reached a sizzling 117 degrees.
  • The coldest day ever recorded in Tucson was on Jan. 7, 1913, the same day as Phoenix's coldest day ever recorded. In Tucson, the temperatures were even lower, reaching a freezing 6 degrees.

Arizona snow and cold records

Despite constantly experiencing extreme heat, Arizona has regions that regularly experience sub-zero temperatures and major snowfall. The mountains near Flagstaff and Pinetop are two locations that experience extremely cold temperatures, even by national standards.

Here are extreme cold facts for Arizona, according to the National Weather Service.

  • The snowiest day ever recorded in Flagstaff was on Feb. 21, 2019, when a total of 35.9 inches of snowfall was measured. That's nearly three feet in one day.
  • The coldest day ever recorded in Flagstaff was Jan. 22, 1937, when the temperature reached -30 degrees.
  • The coldest day in Arizona, believe it or not, was not the blistering 30-degree weather recorded in Flagstaff in 1937. In fact, it happened in Hawley Lake, in the White Mountains near Pinetop-Lakeside. There, on Jan. 7, 1971, the temperature reached -40 degrees.

Extreme weather in Phoenix

Heat isn't the only extreme weather Phoenix receives. Here's a list of some of the extreme weather days on record for Phoenix.

  • Phoenix's snowiest day on record was Feb. 2, 1939, when the city was covered in 0.4 inches of snow.
  • Winds of 77 mph were recorded at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on July 18, 2005.
  • Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport recorded 3.3 inches of rain in 24 hours on Sept. 8, 2014, the most rain recorded in a single day since record-keeping began about 115 years ago.

Snow in Phoenix?Yes, it can happen. Here's what to know and what winter weather to expect