Summer arrived in the dark of the overnight hours, specifically at 1:04 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. While welcomed by most, summer is a season with mixed blessings. On the one hand, there are vacation getaways, boating, cookouts, and wearing lighter clothing. On the other, it’s also a time for insects, higher electric usage and gas prices — and higher temperatures. The highest thermometer reading ever recorded in the U.S. was 134 degrees Fahrenheit at Greenland Ranch, California on July 10, 100 years ago. Next highest was 128 degrees 18 years ago at Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Among larger cities, Phoenix, Arizona holds the record at 122 degrees. Profile America is in its 17th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.