Do you like rare weather events? If so, Phoenix Sky Harbor just experienced one, and you likely didn't even know it!

The high today (Wednesday) in Phoenix was 67º, which is the 4th day in a row with a high temp of 67º. While it might not seem that rare at first glance, let's go to the numbers.

Out of 45,669 days of weather records (since Jan 1, 1986), this is only the 84th time there have been four or more consecutive days with the same high temperature. That's only 0.18% of days! The record stands at six days set in 1928 and 1953. In 1928, the high temperature was 71º from Dec 5th through Dec 10th, and in 1953, the high was 106º from Sept 5th through the 10th.

No one will argue that 2020 was an interesting year, and the weather was no different. Here we will breakdown high temperatures, low temperatures, and precip stats for the year and how they compare to average. All data are from 1896 through 2020 (Phoenix long term record) and are referencing the year-long statistic.

Let's start with temperature stats!

Highest high temperature this year: 118º
(ties as the 4th warmest temperature on record)
Record Highest: 122º in 1990
Record lowest high: 109º in 1911

Lowest high temperature this year: 55º
(ties as 3rd warmest lowest high on record)
Record highest lowest high temperature: 58º in 1989
Record lowest high temperature: 36º in 1898

Average high temperature this year: 89.5º
(second warmest on record)
Record highest average high temperature: 89.8º in 1989
Record lowest average high temperature: 81.4º in 1913

Lowest low temperature this year: 35º
(ties as the 3rd warmest low temperature on record)
Record lowest low temperature: 16º in 1913
Record highest losest low temperature: 37º in 1986

Warmest low temperature this year: 94º
(ties as 3rd warmest high low temperature)
Warmest low temperature: 96º in 2003
Lowest high low temperature: 81º in 1915

Average low temperature this year: 64.9
(ties as 3rd warmest)
Highest average low temperature: 65.4 in 2014, 2015, 2017
Lowest average low temperature: 53.2 in 1917

And finally, some precipitation stats:

Total rainfall this year: 5.00"
(27th driest year on record)
Lowest rainfall: 2.82" in 1956 and 2002
Highest rainfall: 19.73" in 1905

Number of days with rain this year: 15
(record fewest - the old record was 18 in 2002)
Most days with rain: 74 in 1905

Most rain in one day this year: 1.04"
(ties as the 35th most)
Most rain in one day: 3.30" in 2014
Least most rain in one day: 0.42" in 1947

We will break down some of these stats in more detail in the next week or so.

On December 9th, the high temperature was a warm 80º in Phoenix. One day later, on December 10th, the high temperature topped out at just 61º. That's a 19º drop in only one day, which sets the record as the largest one-day high-temperature drop in December for Phoenix. The old record was an 18º drop set back in 1928, when the temperature went from 71º on December 11th to 53º on December 12th.

How does this match up to the biggest temperature drop using all months? That record is a drop of 27º and has happened twice. In 1951, the high temperature went from 100º on August 26th down to 73º on August 27th. And in 1905, the high went from 77º on November 20th to 50º on November 21st. With that said, the 19º drop we just had will go down as the 9th all-time largest temperature drop.

If you were wondering, the largest temperature increase from one day over the next occurred back in 1989, when the high temperature went from 58º on January 1st to 79º on January 2nd. Looking at just December, the largest increase was back in 1968, with a temperature rise of 15º.

Ok, that's all the time we have for fun weather facts today!

It's official, the 110-day long dry streak in Phoenix is over! Around 11:40pm on Wednesday (December 9th), the rain gauge at Phoenix Sky Harbor finally read something other than zero. This is the first time since August 20th that rain has been recorded at the airport.

While this was not a record-setting dry streak, it will go down as the 10th longest on record. The record longest streak without measurable rain in Phoenix stands at 160 days, December 30th, 1971 to June 6th, 1972.

Earlier this year we had a 103 day long dry streak, with no measurable rain from April 12th through July 23rd. This is only the 3rd year since records began in 1896 that there have been two dry streaks of 100 or more days.

• 1938: 107 days and 105 days, totaling 212 days
• 2006: 143 days and 105 days, totaling 248 days
• 2020: 103 days and 110 days, totaling 213 days

Enjoy the rain while it lasts!

The high temperature on December 9th hit 80º at Phoenix Sky Harbor. This temperature is 14º above average for this time of year, and just 4º away from the record of 84º set back in 1981.

This also marks the second December day this year with a high temperature of 80º+. Since 1896, there have only been 15 years (now including this year) that have seen two or more 80º+ days in December.

• 7 days with 80º+: 1980
• 5 days with 80º+: 1939, 1940, 1950
• 4 days with 80º+: 1965
• 3 days with 80º+: 1938
• 2 days with 80º+: 1917, 1946, 1949, 1977, 1981, 2003, 2010, 2017, 2020

Looking at the total number of days in the weather record for December, there have only been 63 days out of 3,853 days with a high of 80º+. In other words, these temperatures are reasonably rare.

If you don't like this December "heat", temperatures will drop back into the 60s tomorrow into the weekend as a storm system moves through the state.

The average high temperature for December 7th is 67º, but this year, Phoenix Sky Harbor hit 80º. The record for the day is 83º, which was set back in 1938.

So how rare are 80º days in December? The last time Phoenix had an 80º+ temperature in December was back in 2017, and before that it was in 2013. Since 1896, when records began in Phoenix, there have been 31 years with a high of 80º+ in December.

Another way to examine how rare this is, look at the total number of days. Out of 3,851 December days on record, only 62 of them have seen a high of 80º+. That's only 1.6% of December days!

The most number of days in December with a high of 80º+ was 7, set back in 1980.

High temperatures are forecast to be right around 80º tomorrow as well, which would make it the 2nd day this year with a high of 80º+ in December. Only 14 years have had 2 or more days with high temperatures of 80º+ in December (see list below).

• 7 days: 1980
• 5 days: 1939, 1940, 1950
• 4 days: 1965
• 3 days: 1938
• 2 days: 1917,1946,1949,1977,1981,2003,2010,2017

Do you remember what the weather was like back on August 20, 2020? If you don't, that is the last time measurable rain was recorded at Phoenix Sky Harbor. And believe it or not, this 103 day long dry streak is not the record, which stands at 160 days (no measurable rain from December 30, 1971 to June 6, 1972).

With that said, we are breaking a different record. So far this year, measurable rain has only fallen on 13 days at Phoenix Sky Harbor. The current record for the least in a year stands at 18 days in 2002. With only one month left and no rain in sight, it is looking like we will break that record this year.

This is also not the first time so far this year with a 103 day long dry streak. No measurable rain fell from April 12th through July 23rd, marking another 103-day long streak. This is only the 3rd year since records began in 1896 that there have been two dry streaks of 100 or more days.

• 1938: 107 days and 105 days, totaling 212 days
• 2006: 143 days and 105 days, totaling 248 days
• 2020: 103 days and 103 days, totaling 206 days and counting

Looking at long term forecasts, signs are pointing toward dry conditions continuing through the winter. But fingers are crossed for at least some measurable rain to end this latest dry streak.

The temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor soared to a high of 92º today (Mon, Nov 16th)! This undoubtedly broke the record for the day of 89º set back in 1999 and smashed several all-time records.

• Latest 90º+ day (old record: Nov 15, 1999)
• Latest 91º+ day (old record: Nov 14, 1999)
• Latest 92º+ day (old record: Nov 12, 2013)

Keep in mind, the average high temperature for this time of year in Phoenix is 75º! Yes, that is right, the high-temperature today was 17º above average.

Overall, it is looking like a cooling trend heading into the weekend, but tomorrow (Tuesday) will be another hot day with high temperatures nearing the 90º mark yet again.