On June 26, 1990, Phoenix posted the highest temperature ever recorded in America’s hottest big city — 122 degrees — and no one who lived through it has forgotten.
Those who endured that brutally hot day wear it like a badge of honor, sometimes literally with “I Survived 122 Degrees” commemorative T-shirts. As Phoenix reaches the 35th anniversary of that day, longtime residents rummage up their shirts and relive the unbelievable heat.
The air shimmered with heat. Cars broke down. Planes were grounded. Workers poured sweat over hot pavement. For the people who were there, it wasn’t just a number. The heat was seared into their memories…