What is the hottest day ever recorded in Buffalo?

Buffalo's hottest day on record reached 99°F, set on August 27, 1948. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 42°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 57°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 Buffalo?

The all-time record high in Buffalo is 99°F, recorded on August 27, 1948. 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 Buffalo?

Buffalo's coldest day on record bottomed out at -20°F, set on February 2, 1961. 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 Buffalo?

The all-time record low in Buffalo is -20°F, recorded on February 2, 1961. The gap between that and the 99°F record high — a span of 119°F — is the full range of temperatures Buffalo has experienced across its long-term daily record.

Is it normal to be this hot in Buffalo?

It depends on how far above Buffalo's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 57°F; the all-time record of 99°F (set 1948) sits about 42°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 Buffalo set its temperature records?

Buffalo's record high of 99°F was set in 1948 (August 27, 1948), and its record low of -20°F in 1961 (February 2, 1961). Both are pulled from the station's full daily record going back to 1938, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.

Has Buffalo been getting hotter?

Yes — Buffalo's annual mean temperature has trended about 2.4°F warmer since 1939 (+0.28°F per decade, fitted to the complete years of 1939–2025). 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.

Buffalo, New York Weather Records

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

Buffalo’s all-time temperature records

Hottest day on record: 99°Fset August 27, 1948
Coldest day on record: -20°Fset February 2, 1961

That is a 119°F span between the hottest and coldest days Buffalo has ever recorded — the full range of what its weather has done across the station’s record back to 1938.

Buffalo, NY · Today vs. normal

5°F below typical for 10:15 AM on Sep 21

At 10:15 AM EDT on Sep 21 it was 55°F in Buffalo — 5° below the 60°F typical for that hour (estimated from the Sep 21 normal high of 70°F and low of 52°F, interpolated from the monthly normals).

How extreme Buffalo’s weather gets

Buffalo’s weather is usually mild by its own standards — a typical year averages a daily high near 57°F, and the normal high for September runs about 72°F. The records sit well outside that everyday range. The hottest day on record reached 99°F in 1948 — roughly 42°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, Buffalo has bottomed out at -20°F (1961). 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 99°F record is the rare event the record marks.

Frequently asked

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Buffalo?: Buffalo's hottest day on record reached 99°F, set on August 27, 1948. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 42°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 57°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 Buffalo?: The all-time record high in Buffalo is 99°F, recorded on August 27, 1948. 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 Buffalo?: Buffalo's coldest day on record bottomed out at -20°F, set on February 2, 1961. 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 Buffalo?: The all-time record low in Buffalo is -20°F, recorded on February 2, 1961. The gap between that and the 99°F record high — a span of 119°F — is the full range of temperatures Buffalo has experienced across its long-term daily record.
Is it normal to be this hot in Buffalo?: It depends on how far above Buffalo's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 57°F; the all-time record of 99°F (set 1948) sits about 42°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 Buffalo set its temperature records?: Buffalo's record high of 99°F was set in 1948 (August 27, 1948), and its record low of -20°F in 1961 (February 2, 1961). Both are pulled from the station's full daily record going back to 1938, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.
Has Buffalo been getting hotter?: Yes — Buffalo's annual mean temperature has trended about 2.4°F warmer since 1939 (+0.28°F per decade, fitted to the complete years of 1939–2025). 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.