The Most Extreme Temperatures In Iowa And Illinois

We don't live in San Diego or Hawaii.  We live in the Midwest.  The land of extreme temperature swings.  Not only can we start the day with a heater and a coat and end it with the a/c and shorts, but the temps throughout the year can hit extremes normally found in the coldest or hottest places on earth.

These temperatures in Iowa and Illinois are the most extreme on record.  For now.

The Most Extreme Temperatures in Iowa

The average temperature throughout the year in Iowa is about 50 degrees.  But the two extremes are 165 degrees apart!

Between 1930 and 1940, America suffered an extreme drought. Right in the middle of that, Iowa saw its hottest temperature ever.

118 in Keokuk, Iowa on July 20, 1934.  A reminder, they didn't have air conditioning in 1934.  That was a rough one for our ancestors.

On the other extreme, not that long ago, on February 3, 1996, the all-time lowest temperature was recorded in Iowa. -47 in Elkader.  No matter how many layers you put on, that is going to chill you to the bone.

Couple more fun extreme weather stats from The FW:

• All-time highest 24-hour precipitation: 13.18 inches (Atlantic 1 NE on June 14, 1998)
• All-time highest 24-hour snowfall: 24 inches (Lenox on April 20, 1918)

The Most Extreme Temperatures in Illinois

The last time I looked at a map, Illinois was a lot farther south than Iowa. The tip goes all the way down to Kentucky, so you'd think they'd have a higher high temperature. But that's not the case.

The all-time highest temp in Illinois was recorded in East St. Louis on July 14, 1954.  117 degrees.

The all-time low is not quite as bad at Iowa either.  But -38 is still cold.  That happened very recently.  January 31, 2019, in Mount Carroll Illinois.

When it comes to rain and snow:

• All-time highest 24-hour precipitation: 16.91 inches (Aurora on July 18, 1996)
• All-time highest 24-hour snowfall: 36 inches (Astoria on Feb. 28, 1900)

Weather around the world continues to be more extreme.  Will these records be broken soon?  What about all these other extremes around the country?  Check out the wild highs and lows and more weather facts from around the country below.