What is the hottest day ever recorded in Richmond?

Richmond's hottest day on record reached 105°F, set on July 6, 1977. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 35°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 70°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 Richmond?

The all-time record high in Richmond is 105°F, recorded on July 6, 1977. 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 Richmond?

Richmond's coldest day on record bottomed out at -12°F, set on January 29, 1940. Like the record high, it comes from the station's complete 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 Richmond?

The all-time record low in Richmond is -12°F, recorded on January 29, 1940. The gap between that and the 105°F record high — a span of 117°F — is the full range of temperatures Richmond has experienced across its long-term daily record.

Is it normal to be this hot in Richmond?

It depends on how far above Richmond's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 70°F; the all-time record of 105°F (set 1977) sits about 35°F above that. The anomaly readout at the top of this page compares the current temperature against this month's normal high, so you can see exactly how unusual today is rather than guessing.

When did Richmond set its temperature records?

Richmond's record high of 105°F was set in 1977 (July 6, 1977), and its record low of -12°F in 1940 (January 29, 1940). Both are pulled from the station's complete daily record going back to 1939, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.

Has Richmond been getting hotter?

Yes — Richmond's annual mean temperature has trended about 1.8°F warmer since 1939, in line with the long-term warming seen across nearly every US city. 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.

Richmond, Virginia Weather Records

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

Richmond, VA · Today vs. normal

7°F below the June normal

Right now it’s 79°F in Richmond — about 7° below the June normal high of 86°F.

Richmond’s all-time temperature records

Hottest day on record: 105°Fset July 6, 1977
Coldest day on record: -12°Fset January 29, 1940

That is a 117°F span between the hottest and coldest days Richmond has ever recorded — the full range of what its weather has done across the station’s record back to 1939.

How extreme Richmond’s weather gets

Richmond’s weather is usually mild by its own standards — a typical year averages a daily high near 70°F, and the normal high for June runs about 86°F. The records sit well outside that everyday range. The hottest day on record reached 105°F in 1977 — roughly 35°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, Richmond has bottomed out at -12°F (1940). Together the two extremes span 117°F — the full width of what this place’s weather has done across the station’s daily record back to 1939. Those edges are exactly why the anomaly readout at the top of this page 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 June normal is ordinary; one pushing toward the 105°F record is the rare event the record marks.

Frequently asked

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Richmond?: Richmond's hottest day on record reached 105°F, set on July 6, 1977. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 35°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 70°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 Richmond?: The all-time record high in Richmond is 105°F, recorded on July 6, 1977. 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 Richmond?: Richmond's coldest day on record bottomed out at -12°F, set on January 29, 1940. Like the record high, it comes from the station's complete 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 Richmond?: The all-time record low in Richmond is -12°F, recorded on January 29, 1940. The gap between that and the 105°F record high — a span of 117°F — is the full range of temperatures Richmond has experienced across its long-term daily record.
Is it normal to be this hot in Richmond?: It depends on how far above Richmond's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 70°F; the all-time record of 105°F (set 1977) sits about 35°F above that. The anomaly readout at the top of this page compares the current temperature against this month's normal high, so you can see exactly how unusual today is rather than guessing.
When did Richmond set its temperature records?: Richmond's record high of 105°F was set in 1977 (July 6, 1977), and its record low of -12°F in 1940 (January 29, 1940). Both are pulled from the station's complete daily record going back to 1939, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.
Has Richmond been getting hotter?: Yes — Richmond's annual mean temperature has trended about 1.8°F warmer since 1939, in line with the long-term warming seen across nearly every US city. 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.

More for Richmond

See the full Richmond, VA weather forecast — hour-by-hour outlook, NOAA radar, satellite, and air quality — or the broader Richmond climate & weather by month for the long-run averages behind these records.