All-time Record Hottest and Coldest Temperatures Ever Recorded in Phoenix, Arizona

Weather temperatures have been officially kept in Phoenix, Arizona since 1895. The city of Phoenix is well known for its sunny and hot weather, but exactly how hot does it actually get in Phoenix, and how cold does it get in the winter?

These are the all-time record hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in Phoenix, Arizona since 1895. The city of Phoenix certainly has a much milder climate than many other parts of Arizona does.

This is reflected by the differences between the all-time hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in Phoenix (106), compared to the all-time record hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in the state of Arizona (168); a big difference of 62 degrees.

Record Hottest and Coldest Temperatures Ever Recorded in Phoenix, Arizona

All-time Record Hottest Temperature Ever Recorded in Phoenix is 122 Degrees

The hottest temperature ever recorded in the city of Phoenix is 122 degrees, which occurred on June 26, 1990. As anyone who lives in Phoenix knows, 100 degree weather temperature days are not at all uncommon in the city. Even 110 plus degree weather temperature days are not that unusual in the summer.

Only three times in its history since 1895 has Phoenix experienced temperatures at or above 120 degrees. In addition to the record 122 degree day, it was also 121 degrees on July 28, 1995, and 120 degrees on Jun 25, 1990.

• Hottest Temperature Ever Recorded in Arizona is 128 Degrees 

The all-time record hottest temperature ever recorded in the state of Arizona is 128 degrees, which occurred on June 29, 1994, in Lake Havasu. The city of Lake Havasu is located in west-central Arizona, right along the border with California.

Lake Havasu is about a 200 mile drive west from Phoenix. It is a popular spring break destination for college kids.

The difference between the all-time hottest temperature ever recorded in Phoenix (122) and the all-time hottest temperature ever recorded in Arizona (128) is six degrees. Not that big a difference, as Phoenix gets just about as hot as any part of Arizona does.

All-time Record Coldest Temperature Ever Recorded in Phoenix is 16 Degrees

The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city of Phoenix, Arizona is 16 degrees, which occurred on January 7, 1913. Phoenix experienced a cold spell in early January of 1913, as it was also 17 degrees on January 6th, and 19 degrees on January 8th. Those are the second and third coldest days in Phoenix's weather history.

Below freezing temperatures are not that common in Phoenix, and an even rarer weather occurrence is snow. There have been around a dozen times when snow fell in Phoenix dating back to 1898, when the first official snowfall was recorded in the city.

• Coldest Temperature Ever Recorded in Arizona is -40 Degrees 

The coldest temperature ever recorded in the state of Arizona is -40 degrees, which occurred on January 7, 1941, at Hawley Lake. Located in the White Mountains in eastern Arizona, Hawley Lake has an elevation of 8,200 feet, and is about 200 miles from Phoenix as the crow flies.

While most people think of Arizona as a hot weather place, temperatures can vary widely in the state. I remember hiking one time in the Grand Canyon when there were snow flurries at the top as we started our hike, and by the time we reached the bottom at Phantom Ranch along the Colorado River, the temperature was around 80 degrees.

The difference between the all-time coldest temperature ever recorded in Phoenix (16), and the all-time coldest temperature ever recorded in the state of Arizona (-40) is a whopping 56 degrees. That is a huge difference in temperature, and points out how much more moderate the climate is in Phoenix than in many other parts of Arizona.