Salina’s late-summer heat continued deep into September, with three consecutive 101-degree days and several daily temperature records set or tied during the month.

According to National Weather Service climate data from Salina Regional Airport, the temperature reached 101 degrees on Sept. 17, Sept. 18 and Sept. 19. The normal high for that point in September is about 81 to 82 degrees.

The Sept. 19 high of 101 degrees was enough to break the previous daily record of 100, set in 2022. Salina’s official climate record dates back to 1894. 

The heat was not limited to those three days.

On Sept. 7, Salina reached 105 degrees, breaking the previous record of 104 set in 1922, 1931 and 2013. 

One day later, on Sept. 8, the temperature climbed to 106 degrees, tying the daily record first set in 1922. The normal high that day is 85 degrees. 

Another record fell Sept. 14, when Salina reached 103 degrees, topping the previous daily record of 102 set in 1911. The normal high was 83 degrees. 

That gives Salina at least four record-setting or record-tying days in less than two weeks:

Sept. 7 — 105°, new record

Sept. 8 — 106°, tied record

Sept. 14 — 103°, new record

Sept. 19 — 101°, new record

The Sept. 17 high of 101 was 19 degrees above normal, while the Sept. 18 and Sept. 19 highs were each 20 degrees above normal. 

The heat finally began to ease as a cold front moved through Kansas over the weekend. The National Weather Service said cooler temperatures were expected Monday through Wednesday, with readings falling slightly below normal for this time of year. 

For Salina, the September stretch stands out not simply because of one unusually hot day, but because of the repeated triple-digit temperatures occurring at a time of year when average highs are already falling into the low 80s.