The Hottest Temperature In Texas Ever Recorded

All year round, most of us wish that summer would come faster with its long days, sun, and days spent on the beach. In some parts of the country, the summer can also bring sweltering heat, dehydration, and sleepless nights. You probably guessed that we are talking about Texas.

The Lone Star State is no stranger to scorching summer days – leaving its residents completely at a mercy of a well-functioning air conditioner. How hot does it get in Texas during summer? Let’s look at the five hottest days ever recorded in Texas history.

Texas Record High Temperatures

From Amarillo to San Antonio, from Austin to Houston; Texans have lived through their fair share of heatwaves. However, some were worse than others.

113 Degrees – Dallas & Fort Worth

The twin temperatures on June 26 and June 27, 1980, are still remembered by Dallas and Fort Worth residents. That summer broke or tied 29 daily records, 24 of which still stand three decades later. The summer was so memorable for the scorching temperatures (the average Texas high in June is 90 degrees) that there are still ‘I Survived the 1980 Texas Heat Wave’ t-shirts sold on Amazon.

114 Degrees – El Paso and Waco

The fourth hottest temperature record happened on July 23, 2018, in Waco, Texas – 114 degrees, and temperatures didn’t fall below 100 for twelve straight days. Prior to this day, 114° were also recorded in 1994, El Paso.

116 Degrees – Borger

On July 11, 2020, Borger, Texas, about 40 miles northeast of Amarillo, soared to 116 degrees crushing the previous record of 113 degrees in 2011. It was part of the record-high heatwaves sweeping across the U.S. last summer (you might recall the news that the temperatures in Death Valley, California soared to 139°).

117 Degrees – Wichita Falls

It can certainly get incredibly hot in Wichita Falls, Texas. The northern city averages 28 days a year when the temperature soars to 100 degrees or hotter. In 1981, the temperature hit the 100s as early as late March! However, the hottest summer temperature ever recorded occurred on June 28, 1980 – 117 degrees. The triple-digit temperatures lasted all weekend.

120 Degrees – Monahans

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the hottest day ever on record in Texas was the infamous June 28, 1994, in Monahans, which is a city in Ward County located near Odessa. What was the temperature? 120°! However, this wasn’t the first time that the Lone Star State reached this level of heat – on August 12, 1936, Fort Worth and Seymour clocked in this freakishly hot temperature too.

You would think that 120° would send Texans into havoc but according to records, they barely noticed. In fact, when a sweltering June broke records in 54 cities statewide, the news called it the “recent warm spell.”

Hand in hand with scorching temperatures, Texans are accustomed to another symptom of hot summers – high electricity bills resulting from the overuse of air conditioners. To avoid high prices, clever Texans fix their electric rate per kilowatt-hour with a competitive supplier. This way, when the temperature soars, your bill doesn’t have to.

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Updated on 03-27-23