One factor that promotes these high temperatures is the location of the Rocky Mountains to the west of the Plains. The Plains is also an area of the country that typically experiences 100-degree heat each summer. Triple-Digit Heat Common In Parts Of The Plains Temperatures in areas closer to the West Coast, however, are influenced by the cool Pacific Ocean, reducing the 100-degree heat there. Lower elevations also tend to experience higher temperatures, as temperatures decrease when moving higher in the atmosphere. Air tends to be drier in much of the West in the summer, and dry air is able to heat more readily than moist air. benefit from a higher sun angle, which results in an increase in solar radiation. The reason for these very hot conditions in much of the West is a combination of several factors, including elevation, humidity and location. The most 100-degree days in Missoula, Montana, was 11 in 2007, and the highest temperature on record is 107 degrees. Seattle has only recorded a 100-degree reading three times, most recently on July 29, 2009, when the high reached 103 degrees.Įast of the Cascades, however, 100-degree temperatures are more common even locations in Montana see temperatures soar to 100 degrees from time to time. (MORE: Death Valley's Legendary Extreme Heat)Īlso not surprising: on average, Seattle and Portland, Oregon, do not have 100-degree days. The average number of 100-degree-or-hotter days per year in Death Valley is an astonishing 143 – the same as the current record for most 100-degree days in Phoenix. However, the validity of this record is debated. Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson are all premium members of the triple-digit club, as the average number of 100-degree days for all three cities is well above 50 per year.ĭeath Valley comes to the minds of many when thinking of very hot conditions, and it holds the world record for hottest temperature at 134 degrees, set on July 10, 1913. 100-Degree Heat Is Most Common in the WestĪs expected, many cities in the West typically experience temperatures above the century mark every year, especially in the Desert Southwest.Īverage Number of 100-Degree Days Per YearĪverage Date of First 100-Degree TemperatureĪverage 100-degree days listed in the table above are based on 30-year averages (1981-2010) regions are affected differently by climate and geography, and those factors can have major impacts on how often selected cities see the mercury reach 100 degrees.
(MORE: Hottest Temperatures Ever Recorded in All 50 States) For some towns, 100-degree heat can last for months, but for others, it has never happened once since records began. It takes plenty of sweat for a city to join the triple-digit club.Įach summer, high temperatures in many cities soar past the century mark and blistering heat becomes the norm.
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