What is the hottest day ever recorded in Rochester?

Rochester's hottest day on record reached 102°F, set on July 9, 1936. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 43°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 59°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 Rochester?

The all-time record high in Rochester is 102°F, recorded on July 9, 1936. 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 Rochester?

Rochester's coldest day on record bottomed out at -22°F, set on February 9, 1934. 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 Rochester?

The all-time record low in Rochester is -22°F, recorded on February 9, 1934. The gap between that and the 102°F record high — a span of 124°F — is the full range of temperatures Rochester has experienced across its long-term daily record.

Is it normal to be this hot in Rochester?

It depends on how far above Rochester's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 59°F; the all-time record of 102°F (set 1936) sits about 43°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 Rochester set its temperature records?

Rochester's record high of 102°F was set in 1936 (July 9, 1936), and its record low of -22°F in 1934 (February 9, 1934). Both are pulled from the station's full daily record going back to 1926, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.

Has Rochester been getting hotter?

Yes — Rochester's annual mean temperature has trended about 1.4°F warmer since 1926 (+0.14°F per decade, fitted to the complete years of 1926–2025). That gradual shift in the average is separate from the all-time records above, which mark the single most extreme days rather than the trend, but a warming baseline is part of why recent years more often brush up against the record-high end.

Rochester, New York Weather Records

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

Rochester’s all-time temperature records

Hottest day on record: 102°Fset July 9, 1936
Coldest day on record: -22°Fset February 9, 1934

That is a 124°F span between the hottest and coldest days Rochester has ever recorded — the full range of what its weather has done across the station’s record back to 1926.

Rochester, NY · Today vs. normal

4°F above typical for 7:00 AM on Sep 21

At 7:00 AM EDT on Sep 21 it was 56°F in Rochester — 4° above the 52°F typical for that hour (estimated from the Sep 21 normal high of 71°F and low of 52°F, interpolated from the monthly normals).

How extreme Rochester’s weather gets

Rochester’s weather is usually mild by its own standards — a typical year averages a daily high near 59°F, and the normal high for September runs about 74°F. The records sit well outside that everyday range. The hottest day on record reached 102°F in 1936 — roughly 43°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, Rochester has bottomed out at -22°F (1934). 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 102°F record is the rare event the record marks.

Frequently asked

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Rochester?: Rochester's hottest day on record reached 102°F, set on July 9, 1936. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 43°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 59°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 Rochester?: The all-time record high in Rochester is 102°F, recorded on July 9, 1936. 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 Rochester?: Rochester's coldest day on record bottomed out at -22°F, set on February 9, 1934. 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 Rochester?: The all-time record low in Rochester is -22°F, recorded on February 9, 1934. The gap between that and the 102°F record high — a span of 124°F — is the full range of temperatures Rochester has experienced across its long-term daily record.
Is it normal to be this hot in Rochester?: It depends on how far above Rochester's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 59°F; the all-time record of 102°F (set 1936) sits about 43°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 Rochester set its temperature records?: Rochester's record high of 102°F was set in 1936 (July 9, 1936), and its record low of -22°F in 1934 (February 9, 1934). Both are pulled from the station's full daily record going back to 1926, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.
Has Rochester been getting hotter?: Yes — Rochester's annual mean temperature has trended about 1.4°F warmer since 1926 (+0.14°F per decade, fitted to the complete years of 1926–2025). That gradual shift in the average is separate from the all-time records above, which mark the single most extreme days rather than the trend, but a warming baseline is part of why recent years more often brush up against the record-high end.