This is how extreme weather can get in America: The hottest temperature recorded in each U.S. state. Every state has seen extreme temperatures ranging from coldest in Alaska to hottest in Florida, from tropical in Hawaii, and every point in between. Some records been made over 100 years ago and some during great heat waves.
Temperatures have also been much above normal for the summer season in Washington DC. These records illustrate the wide variation of temperatures across the country, and show areas with extreme temperatures. Some of the highest recorded temperatures across the United States and DC.
Red-hot records
The days when the sky blazed an impossibly, burning blue and the air smelled of barbeques; then the days of heat that feel so incredibly thick your throat burns like a fire and you can't even venture to open the window. Days that render a person a gross, sweaty fool in mere seconds. The heat that the very far north of the States had to endure was of this sort.
100°F, Alaska
The days when the sky blazed an impossibly, burning blue and the air smelled of barbeques; then the days of heat that feel so incredibly thick your throat burns like a fire and you can't even venture to open the window. Days that render a person a gross, sweaty fool in mere seconds. The heat that the very far north of the States had to endure was of this sort.
100°F, Hawaii
Aloha State’s high didn’t land at the end of summer either, or even close. For some reason, all-time Hawaii high temperatures - Hawaii includes “the Big Island” too landed at the end of April in 1931. Hawaii, since it only has two seasons—winter, November to April and summer, May to October clearly defines its winter based on when average day temps hover around a comfortable 78 F. “Winter” is a matter of definition.
104°F, Rhode Island
Providence in August 1975 was also a scorcher. The temperature record in Providence reached 95 F on August 2 during the summer I was studying and doing summer research at Brown in 1975, and it has only been approached twice since. The typical average high for the month of August is a much more sensible 81 F.
105°F, Maine
The other New England state that may be much better often showcases the fall foliage adorning the road sides and the timber throughout within the jeweled crimson colors of garnets and also experiences rather cool winters.
But it does, nonetheless, have true summers the days are definitely sizzling, as indicated by this information from two July days back within the summer season of 1911 at North Bridgton, northwest of Portland, that captured 11 days where scorching temps reached record extremes.
106°F, Washington DC
With 21-century record high temps of 105F on at least two occasions and 104F on two more July - the month we currently sit in the thick of, and with temperatures typically peaking around 88F daily this month, this capital has always been no stranger to intense summer temperatures, political and temperature both in the DC environment.
While it still couldn’t top the heat as far back as it was the hottest, with 106F both times, back on August 16, 1918, and also on July 20, 1930 in past historical years, these recent numbers are heating up Washington.
106°F, Connecticut
Nicknamed “the Land of the Steady Habits,” if you judge by the July high temperatures (84 F in the capital city of Hartford), the weather in that region follows suit too. It hasn’t been without sweaty periods, however.
A record heat was set in August 1916 at Torrington’s pleasant-looking Burr Pond State Park. That remarkable mark tied the July 1995 reading in Danbury.
107°F, Massachusetts
It also broke a record in August 1975 when temperatures in the unassuming western Maine town reached a whopping 107 degrees F--over 20 degrees F higher than the town's usual August high of 82 degrees F.
Like the other New England states, Maine has a wide range of weather during the year.
107°F, Vermont
Vermont is one of the outdoorsy states you’ll find, with forests full of maples to tap for their sweet sap and slopes with trails snaking down their sides and into ski areas. But on July 7, 1912, the heat sent all but the truly tenacious outdoorsmen into their homes and ended any plans for hitting the slopes.
The hottest spot in the heat on that sweltering July day was Vernon, a small Vermont town that used to operate a nuclear power plant (a now defunct facility, that is).
108°F, New York
New Yorkers are no strangers to hot weather, even for people used to the urban heat island effect of the Big Apple. While the regions surrounding them - the country roads to the west and south, or the coast to the east and south - can provide some relief from the oppressive heat, it was a different story back in July 1926.
109°F, Florida
They call it the Sunshine State, but they may enjoy a few balmy, bright days of sunshine throughout the year. Nothing about the entire state is as hot as what one can witness at Miami Beach. Believe it or not, the state actually lies somewhat low on the totem pole when it comes to heat packing, although the state does manage to produce a fairly decent scorcher of a day every June 21, 1931.
The hot day that the temperature rose to back on June 21, 1931, was reported out of Monticello, a city in Jefferson County, named after the property of the third president of the United States Thomas Jefferson.
FAQs
1. What is the hottest recorded temperature in the U.S.?
The highest officially recognized temperature in the United States is 134°F (56.7°C), recorded at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California, on July 10, 1913.
2. Which U.S. state has the highest temperature record?
California has the highest official state temperature record, with 134°F recorded in Death Valley.
3. Can Alaska really reach 100°F?
Yes. Alaska has recorded temperatures reaching 100°F, showing that even the country's far-northern state can experience extreme summer heat.
4. Which states have the lowest hottest-temperature records?
Several northeastern states have comparatively lower records. Rhode Island, Maine, Connecticut, Vermont and Massachusetts have maximum recorded temperatures generally around 104°F to 107°F.
5. Why do state temperature records matter?
Temperature records help meteorologists understand extreme weather, study climate patterns and assess the risks associated with dangerous heat events.
