Benson hits 100 and 102 degrees, setting heat records

By Reed Anfinson

After not seeing a 100-degree reading in the month of September since daily records started being kept for Benson in 1953, two were recorded at the Benson Municipal Airport’s National Weather Service station.

Monday the high hit 100 degrees at 2:55 in the afternoon and stayed there until 3:55 when it rose to 102 degrees. It stayed at 102 degrees for 40 minutes before falling to 100 at 4:35 and staying there for the next hour.

The Sept. 4 high of 102 broke the old record high for the date by 9 degrees. The previous record, set in 1978, was 93 degrees.

When the NWS site recorded a temperature of 100 degrees at 3:15 Sunday afternoon it was the first official 100-degree temperature for Benson since July 31, 2006.

In late July 2006, the city recorded a high of 100 degrees July 28, a high of 102 July 30, and a high of 104 degrees July 31. The 104-degree high tied Benson’s all-time high, which was also recorded June 24, 1988.