Hawley Lake holds the state record for coldest temperature ever. What other state record does Hawley Lake hold?
A) Total rainfall over a calendar year
B) Coldest wind chill value
C) Greatest 24hour snowfall
D) Highest wind gust
If you guessed “A”, you’re right. Hawley Lake also holds the record for total rainfall over a year. The wettest year on record dates back to 1978 when they picked up 58.92 inches of rain. However, compare that to Kukui HI. Where a whopping 704.83 inches fell in 1982. That’s over 58-feet of rain.
Just in case you’re wondering, Hawley Lake reached the coldest temperature in the state of Arizona back on January 7, 1971 at 40-below zero.
The coldest temperature Phoenix has ever reached was 16 degrees, set way back on January 7, 1913. Now, even on our coldest days, Sky Harbor Airport struggles to break the freezing mark (32 degrees). This is largely in part due to the “heat island” effect caused by urbanization.
