Talk about the polar vortex! A list of the coldest weather ever recorded in each state

A devastating cold front, complete with extreme low temperatures, wind and precipitation, is hitting much of the United States this week.

The phenomenon, known popularly as a “polar vortex,” will move across the Midwest and Northeast, keeping temperatures in many places well below freezing for an extended period of time – and wind chill levels at life-threatening lows.

In parts of Minnesota, the wind chill factor could reach as low as -65 degrees Fahrenheit. Chicago might break its record low for temperature excluding wind chill, -27 degrees Fahrenheit, set on Jan 20, 1985. But even if temperatures fall below that level, it will likely not come close to Illinois’ all-time low temperature, a staggering -36 degrees Fahrenheit set in Bloomington in 1999.

Based on records from the State Climate Extremes Committee, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the coldest temperature on record in every state. Most state record lows have lasted for decades, in some cases over a century, and as U.S. average temperatures continue to rise, record high temperatures being set are exceeding record low temperatures by a ratio of 2:1. Only two states’ record low temperatures have been set in the 21st century. The vast majority of states’ record lows have stood unbroken for well over 50 years.

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In a few cases, records have been tied but remained unbroken. In Massachusetts, the record low temperature of -35 degrees Fahrenheit has been recorded at weather stations within the state three times: first in 1904, then in 1943, and finally 1981. In a few states, the record low was recorded on separate days. In Wisconsin, the state’s record of -55 degrees Fahrenheit was set in Stone Lake on Friday, Feb. 2, 1996, and then in the same place two days later.

To identify the coldest days in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the State Climate Extremes Committee’s (SCEC) records of extreme cold temperatures in every state, then listed the city/location closest to the weather station that recorded the extreme weather event. Data was sourced from the Nautical Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

Alabama

• Record low temperature: -27 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Huntsville, 1/30/1966

Alaska

• Record low temperature: -80 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Bettles, 1/23/1971

Arizona

• Record low temperature: -40 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Springerville, 1/7/1971

Arkansas

• Record low temperature: -29 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Bentonville, 2/13/1905

California

• Record low temperature: -45 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Truckee, 1/20/1937

Colorado

• Record low temperature: -61 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Craig, 2/1/1985

Connecticut

• Record low temperature: -32 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Salisbury, 2/16/1943

• Place and time: Mansfield, 1/22/1961

Delaware

• Record low temperature: -17 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Georgetown, 1/17/1893

Florida

• Record low temperature: -2 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Tallahassee, 2/13/1899

Georgia

• Record low temperature: -17 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: LaFayette, 1/27/1940

Hawaii

• Record low temperature: 12 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Hilo, 5/17/1979

Idaho

• Record low temperature: -60 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Ashton, 1/18/1943

Illinois

• Record low temperature: -36 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Bloomington, 1/5/1999

Indiana

• Record low temperature: -36 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Whiteland, 1/19/1994

Iowa

• Record low temperature: -47 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Elkader, 2/3/1996

• Place and time: Sioux City, 1/12/2019

Kansas

• Record low temperature: -40 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Lebanon, 2/13/1905

Kentucky

• Record low temperature: -37 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Shelbyville, 1/19/1994

Louisiana

• Record low temperature: -16 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Minden, 2/13/1899

Maine

• Record low temperature: -50 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: northern border, 1/16/2009

Maryland

• Record low temperature: -40 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Oakland, 1/13/1912

Massachusetts

• Record low temperature: -35 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Taunton, 1/5/1904

• Place and time: Worcester, 2/15/1943

• Place and time: Pittsfield, 1/12/1981

Michigan

• Record low temperature: -51 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Vanderbilt, 2/9/1934

Minnesota

• Record low temperature: -60 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Tower, 2/2/1996

Mississippi

• Record low temperature: -19 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Corinth, 1/30/1966

Missouri

• Record low temperature: -40 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Warsaw, 2/13/1905

Montana

• Record low temperature: -70 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Fairfield, 1/20/1954

Nebraska

• Record low temperature: -47 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Bridgeport, 2/12/1899

• Place and time: Oshkosh, 12/22/1989

Nevada

• Record low temperature: -50 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: San Jacinto, 1/8/1937

New Hampshire

• Record low temperature: -50 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Jackson, 1/22/1885

New Jersey

• Record low temperature: -34 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: River Vale, 1/5/1904

New Mexico

• Record low temperature: -50 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Farmington, 2/1/1951

New York

• Record low temperature: -52 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Old Forge, 2/18/1979

North Carolina

• Record low temperature: -34 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Black Mountain, 1/21/1985

North Dakota

• Record low temperature: -60 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Parshall, 2/15/1936

Ohio

• Record low temperature: -39 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Crooksville, 2/10/1889

Oklahoma

• Record low temperature: -31 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Nowata, 2/10/2011

Oregon

• Record low temperature: -54 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Ukiah, 2/9/1933

• Place and time: Seneca, 2/10/1933

Pennsylvania

• Record low temperature: -42 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Port Allegany, 1/5/1904

Rhode Island

• Record low temperature: -28 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Charlestown, 1/11/1942

South Carolina

• Record low temperature: -19 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Rosman, 1/21/1985

South Dakota

• Record low temperature: -58 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: McIntosh, 2/17/1936

Tennessee

• Record low temperature: -32 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Ashland, 12/30/1917

Texas

• Record low temperature: -23 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Tulia, 2/12/1899

• Place and time: Seminole, 2/8/1933

Utah

• Record low temperature: -50 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Provo, 1/5/1913

Vermont

• Record low temperature: -50 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Bloomfield, 12/30/1933

Virginia

• Record low temperature: -30 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Pembroke, 1/21/1985

Washington

• Record low temperature: -48 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Winthrop, 12/30/1968

West Virginia

• Record low temperature: -37 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Lewisburg, 12/30/1917

Wisconsin

• Record low temperature: -55 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Stone Lake, 2/4/1996

• Place and time: Stone Lake, 2/6/1996

Wyoming

• Record low temperature: -66 degrees Fahrenheit

• Place and time: Yellowstone National Park, 2/9/1933

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