You must have a thermostat. Get one ASAP. You won't always be there to monitor the temps when they spike.
So what you're measuring is the surface tempature? You need a digital thermometer to monitor the ambient tempature. You don't want a cool side ambient of less than 75, and the hot side ambient must be 80-90 with a hotspot surface tempature of 90.
A 20 gallon might be a bit hard to maintain temps and create a gradient, but it is possible. Covering the top, insulating the sides, and increasing the tempature of the room can help. But first things first you need a thermostat. And a digital thermometer, but a thermostat is urgently needed as the heat pad can fluctuate and cause neurological problems, and burn, or even kill your snake. I wish you good luck.
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