Official weather records have been kept in Grand Canyon National Park since 1935. Here are the official record hottest and coldest weather temperatures ever recorded in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona since 1935.
Located in northwestern Arizona along the Colorado River, the magnificent Grand Canyon National Park has wide variations in temperatures from the top of the canyon to the bottom. To show that, the hottest and coldest temperatures for Grand Canyon National Park are listed for the top at the South Rim and at the bottom at Phantom Ranch which is 4,800 feet below the South Rim.
This author has hiked from the South Rim to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back up a number of times. Once, in mid-May, it was snowing at the top and by the time we reached the bottom it was sunny and warm and the temperature was in the high 80s. The wide temperature variations just add to the beauty of the Grand Canyon in this author's view.
The differences between the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded at the top and bottom of the Grand Canyon is 42 total degrees. That is a big difference considering we are talking about the same location on the map just at different elevations.
All-Time Record Hottest Weather Temperature Ever Recorded at the South Rim is 101 Degrees
The hottest weather temperature ever officially recorded at the top of the South Rim in Grand Canyon National Park is 101 degrees which occurred on July 11, 2003.
Days when the temperature reaches 100 degrees are very rare at the top of the Grand Canyon at the South Rim. In addition to the record temperature of 101 degrees there has only been one other time when the temperature reached triple digits and that was on July 4, 2007 when it was exactly 100 degrees.
All-Time Record Hottest Weather Temperature Ever Recorded at Phantom Ranch is 120 Degrees
The hottest weather temperature ever officially recorded at the bottom of Grand Canyon National Park at Phantom Ranch is 120 degrees which occurred on these three dates - July 11, 1958, July 27, 1974 and August 7, 1981.
Unlike at the top of the Grand Canyon, 100 degree temperature days are pretty common at the bottom of the canyon at Phantom Ranch and they have occurred from mid-April to early October. The earliest 100 degree temperature day at the bottom of the Grand Canyon occurred on April 14, 1962, and the latest 100 degree day was on October 10, 1980.
The difference between the hottest temperatures ever recorded at the top of the Grand Canyon at the South Rim (101) and at the bottom of the Grand Canyon at Phantom Ranch (120) is 19 degrees. A pretty big difference explained by the big difference in elevation from the top to the bottom of the canyon.
All-Time Record Coldest Weather Temperature Ever Recorded at the South Rim is -20 Degrees
The coldest weather temperature ever officially recorded at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is -20 degrees which occurred on three different dates, December 23, 1990 and February 1 and 2, 1985.
Below zero temperatures have occurred at the South Rim in the months of November, December, January, February and also on March 1 in 1987. Below freezing temperatures have occurred at the South Rim in every month of the year except July and August. So it can get pretty cold at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
All-Time Record Coldest Weather Temperature Ever Recorded at Phantom Ranch is 3 Degrees
The coldest weather temperature ever officially recorded at the bottom of the Grand Canyon is 3 degrees which occurred on January 3, 1971, at Phantom Ranch.
Below freezing temperature days at the bottom of the Grand Canyon only occur for about six months out of the year from November to April. The earliest below freezing day at Phantom Ranch occurred on November 5, 1968, and the latest below freezing date occurred on April 14, 1983.
The difference between the coldest temperature ever recorded at the South Rim at the top of the Grand Canyon (-20) and at the bottom of the Grand Canyon at Phantom Ranch (3) is 23 degrees. A big difference and a slightly larger difference than the hottest temperatures between the top and bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Overall, the Grand Canyon has pretty big differences in temperature variations from the top at the South Rim to the bottom at Phantom Ranch.
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