Salt Lake City set a record high of 109 degrees. Then came the conspiracy theories.

Theory Briefing

• Salt Lake City's 109°F reading shattered previous records, but skeptics questioned whether changes to the weather station — not the climate — inflated the number.
• Conspiracy theories emerged almost immediately after the record was announced, redirecting public attention from the heat itself to the instrument measuring it.
• The debate mirrors a recurring pattern: when data is uncomfortable, the method of measurement becomes the target rather than the finding.
• Whether the station's setup genuinely affects readings is a real meteorological question, but it is being raised alongside claims that go well beyond that technical dispute.