How Early in the Year Have 90 Degree Temperatures Happened in Your Region?

Linda Lam

Published: April 22, 2020

Average Highs in July

Although 90 degree temperatures might make you think of summer, warming spring conditions can cause some regions to get their first taste of such heat much sooner.

Let's take a closer look at how early in the year temperatures have reached the 90-degree mark for each region of the Lower 48.

(MORE: May Through Summer Temperature Outlook)

Northeast

The larger cities in the Northeast from Boston to Philadelphia recorded their earliest highs of at least 90 degrees in early April, while Washington, D.C., experienced its earliest 90 degree temperature on March 22 in 1907.

Many locations in the interior Northeast experienced their earliest 90s on record in mid to late April, but the first 90 of the year typically occurs in June there.

Not all areas reach 90 degrees every year. This includes Buffalo, New York, which did not observe a temperature of at least 90 degrees as recently as 2014.

Midwest

Temperatures climbed to 90 degrees as early as March 21 in 1907 in St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, but much of the Midwest recorded their earliest 90 degree temperature in mid to late April.

A few locations have not recorded 90 degree temperatures before May. This includes Cleveland and Detroit, which both typically see their first 90 degree temperature in June.

Some areas of the region have experienced years with temperatures not reaching 90 degrees, including Indianapolis in 2004.

South

Temperatures soar into the 90s earlier in the year across the southern tier, even as early as January. The earliest 90 degree high in Dallas was recorded on Jan. 31 in 1911.

Many locations in the South have experienced the earliest first 90 of the year in mid-March, including Raleigh, North Carolina, and Birmingham, Alabama. Atlanta's earliest 90 degree high was set on April 23, 1980, which is later in the year than some of the aforementioned big cities in the Northeast.

One Southern city set a new record for the earliest 90 degree temperature this year – New Orleans on April 9. This year, Miami has experienced record heat at times since March. The city notched their first high in the 90s on March 5, missing the record by just three days.

West

Areas of the Southwest and Southern California have recorded 90s in January and February, although the first 90 degree temperature typically occurs there from late March into the first half of April.

Locations farther north, as well as in higher elevations, wait much longer for temperatures to rise into the 90s. Mid to late April is when the earliest 90 of the year was recorded in Denver and Reno, Nevada. May is when the earliest first 90s of the year happened in Seattle, Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Temperatures do not reach 90 degrees every year in some cities in the West. This includes San Francisco, where the highest temperature measured in 2018 was 83 degrees.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.