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Places that Set Heat Records in 2021
November 05, 2021
2021 is nearly in the books, and there (hopefully) won't be any more heat records set in the northern hemisphere this year. So let's take a look at the places that rewrote the record books in 2021, setting a new mark for the all-time highest temperature ever measured.The United States / The World
130 °F (54.4 °C)
Death Valley tied its own record (set last year) for the hottest temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth, twice reaching a temperature of nearly 130 degrees.
Canada
121 °F (49.6 °C)
The heat wave that struck the northwest United States and British Columbia in 2021 was absolutely massive.
Prior to 2021, the highest temperature ever measured in Canada was 113 °F (45 °C). But in late June of this year, several places in British Columbia obliterated this mark. The hottest of all was the tiny village of Lytton in southern British Columbia which recorded a blistering temperature of 121 °F (49.6 °C).
The 2021 heat wave increased the record temperature in Canada by more than 8 degrees Fahrenheit. Perhaps even more remarkably, Canada's record high is now hotter than that of both Texas and the entire continent of South America.
118 °F (47.8 °C)
The northwest heat wave helped the state of Washington to tie its all-time high temperature record of 118 °F.
117 °F (47.2 °C)
Utah also tied its all-time high with St. George reaching 117 °F.
116 °F (46.7 °C)
The previous record of 107.1 °F was shattered by an incredible 9 degrees.
114 °F (45.6 °C)
108 °F (42.2 °C)
Prior to this year, Seattle had only experienced one day hotter than 100 °F. This year added three more days to the list, and increased the all-time high by more than 5 degrees. Pretty tough for a city where most people still don't have air conditioning.
Just About Everywhere in the Northwest
A huge number of other places in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia set records including Olympia, Salem, Walla Walla, Wenatchee, Yakima, Whistler, Spokane, Bend, Bellingham, and many more.
107 °F (41.7 °C)
SLC tied its previous record. What's remarkable is how early in the season it occurred (June 15th).
102 °F (38.9 °C)
Siting at an elevation of more than 7000 feet, Santa Fe reached a temperature over 100 °F for the first time in its history.
Minsk, Belarus
96 °F (35.8 °C)
91 °F (32.6 °C)
Even frigid Yellowknife, on the shores of Great Slave Lake in northern Canada, exceeded 90 °F in 2021.