A town of 5,200 people along Route 66 on the California border has now set a new record for scorching heat – the hottest monthly average temperature in the country.
Needles’ July average temperature was 103.2 degrees, surpassing Phoenix’s highest average July temperature of 102.7 degrees last year, according to the Arizona Climate Office. In an X post, the department ceded the unfortunate title to Needles.
The post also mentioned two other cities, Palm Springs and Blythe, and welcomed them into the club of cities with average temperatures of at least triple digits throughout the month.
“Welcome?” the post said.
Needles Mayor Jan Jernigan was not surprised by the town’s achievement, saying: “We probably did it [beat the record]very easy.
Heat is part of the small town culture. Jernigan said when the City Council holds meetings, it provides guests with a basket of red hot candies that says “The needle is red hot.”
Passion is ingrained in Needles’ culture. City officials offered Red Hot candy at public meetings with signs saying “The needle is Red Hot.”
(Courtesy Jan Jernigan)
Jernigan said Needles has learned to hold city events early in the morning to avoid the worst of the heat. She said a food distribution event this morning started around 5 a.m. and lasted only until 8 a.m. before the temperatures became stifling.
The town, also known as the home of Snoopy’s brother Spike from “Peanuts,” still draws tourists and residents to its three beaches on the Colorado River where they can try to beat the summer heat, City Manager Patrick Martinez said. He said the city has spent $8.4 million in grants to improve infrastructure, including updating parks.
“you already [got to] He said it would take “waist-deep in the Colorado River” to stay cool in Needles.
The region’s intense heat was partly responsible for an unusual brush fire that broke out near Needles in late June, burning 70 acres and destroying a building. It crossed into Arizona and burned 143 acres there. Martinez said infrastructure upgrades, including beach cleanups, will help reduce the risk of future wildfires, especially during the wildfire-prone summer months. This year’s hot weather has resulted in 30 times more fires across the state than last year.
To combat the heat, the town opened a senior center to provide people with water and a cool place to gather. It is equipped with a generator that can be turned on in an emergency if a power outage puts residents at risk of overheating, Martinez said.
Jernigan said the latest improvements to Needles’ infrastructure aren’t the end of the story. “We still have a long way to go,” she said.
