What is the hottest day ever recorded in Riverside?

Riverside's hottest day on record reached 116°F, set on September 6, 2020. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 37°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 79°F, which is why a day like it stands out as genuinely rare rather than just a hot afternoon.

What is the record high temperature in Riverside?

The all-time record high in Riverside is 116°F, recorded on September 6, 2020. Records are drawn from the nearest long-term weather station's full daily history, so this is the hottest single day the station has ever logged — not a typical summer peak.

What is the coldest day ever recorded in Riverside?

Riverside's coldest day on record bottomed out at 17°F, set on December 21, 1968. Like the record high, it comes from the station's full daily record, so it captures the most extreme cold the area has recorded rather than an average winter low.

What is the record low temperature in Riverside?

The all-time record low in Riverside is 17°F, recorded on December 21, 1968. The gap between that and the 116°F record high — a span of 99°F — is the full range of temperatures Riverside has experienced across its long-term daily record.

Is it normal to be this hot in Riverside?

It depends on how far above Riverside's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 79°F; the all-time record of 116°F (set 2020) sits about 37°F above that. When a live reading is available, the live readout just below the record high and low compares it with the temperature typical for that hour this month (estimated from the month's normal high and low), so you can see how unusual the day is rather than guessing.

When did Riverside set its temperature records?

Riverside's record high of 116°F was set in 2020 (September 6, 2020), and its record low of 17°F in 1968 (December 21, 1968). Both are pulled from the station's full daily record going back to 1949, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.

Has Riverside been getting hotter?

There isn't enough station data to say: the latest stretch of complete years with no gap over 10 years is 2012–2025, only 11 years (a trend needs at least 30). The all-time records above still use every valid day in the record.

Riverside, California Weather Records

The hottest and coldest days Riverside has ever recorded — and how today compares to normal

Riverside’s all-time temperature records

Hottest day on record: 116°Fset September 6, 2020
Coldest day on record: 17°Fset December 21, 1968

That is a 99°F span between the hottest and coldest days Riverside has ever recorded — the full range of what its weather has done across the station’s record back to 1949.

Riverside, CA · Today vs. normal

10°F below typical for 9:15 PM on Sep 20

At 9:15 PM PDT on Sep 20 it was 68°F in Riverside — 10° below the 78°F typical for that hour (estimated from the Sep 20 normal high of 90°F and low of 57°F, interpolated from the monthly normals).

How extreme Riverside’s weather gets

Riverside’s weather is usually mild by its own standards — a typical year averages a daily high near 79°F, and the normal high for September runs about 92°F. The records sit well outside that everyday range. The hottest day on record reached 116°F in 2020 — roughly 37°F above a typical year’s average high, the kind of gap that turns an ordinary summer into a genuine heat event.

At the other end, Riverside has bottomed out at 17°F (1968). Those edges are why the today-versus-normal readout above is worth a glance: it shows where today falls between the normal and the record, so a hot afternoon can be judged against the real history rather than a hunch. A reading a few degrees over the September normal is ordinary; one pushing toward the 116°F record is the rare event the record marks.

Frequently asked

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Riverside?: Riverside's hottest day on record reached 116°F, set on September 6, 2020. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 37°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 79°F, which is why a day like it stands out as genuinely rare rather than just a hot afternoon.
What is the record high temperature in Riverside?: The all-time record high in Riverside is 116°F, recorded on September 6, 2020. Records are drawn from the nearest long-term weather station's full daily history, so this is the hottest single day the station has ever logged — not a typical summer peak.
What is the coldest day ever recorded in Riverside?: Riverside's coldest day on record bottomed out at 17°F, set on December 21, 1968. Like the record high, it comes from the station's full daily record, so it captures the most extreme cold the area has recorded rather than an average winter low.
What is the record low temperature in Riverside?: The all-time record low in Riverside is 17°F, recorded on December 21, 1968. The gap between that and the 116°F record high — a span of 99°F — is the full range of temperatures Riverside has experienced across its long-term daily record.
Is it normal to be this hot in Riverside?: It depends on how far above Riverside's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 79°F; the all-time record of 116°F (set 2020) sits about 37°F above that. When a live reading is available, the live readout just below the record high and low compares it with the temperature typical for that hour this month (estimated from the month's normal high and low), so you can see how unusual the day is rather than guessing.
When did Riverside set its temperature records?: Riverside's record high of 116°F was set in 2020 (September 6, 2020), and its record low of 17°F in 1968 (December 21, 1968). Both are pulled from the station's full daily record going back to 1949, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.
Has Riverside been getting hotter?: There isn't enough station data to say: the latest stretch of complete years with no gap over 10 years is 2012–2025, only 11 years (a trend needs at least 30). The all-time records above still use every valid day in the record.