See the most extreme temperatures in California history
On July 9, 2021, California's Death Valley reached 130 degrees Fahrenheit, according to an automated measuring system there, representing one of the highest temperatures ever recorded on the planet. The world record, also recorded at Death Valley, was 134 degrees in July 1913.
More than 210 degrees Fahrenheit separates the highest and the lowest temperatures on record in the United States, the third-largest country in the world. As some states are infamous for having blistering hot summers, others become inundated by winter storms and frigid cold. The contiguous U.S. had its warmest meteorological summer (June-August) on record in 2021, according to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.
Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.
Keep reading to find out your state's record, or see the national list here.
California by the numbers
- All-time highest temperature: 134° F (Greenland Ranch on July 10, 1913)
- All-time lowest temperature: -45° F (Boca on Jan. 20, 1937)
- All-time highest 24-hour precipitation: 25.83 inches (Hoegees Fc 60 A on Jan. 22–23, 1943)
- All-time highest 24-hour snowfall: 67 inches (Echo Summit Sierra at Tahoe on Jan. 5, 1982)
Death Valley's Greenland Ranch holds the record for the highest temperature ever recorded at 134 in 1913. But On Jan. 20, 1937, Boca—a former reservoir located in Nevada County—recorded a mind-numbingly cold temperature of -45 degrees. In February 2019, news reports observed that June Mountain in the Sierra Nevada, located east of Yosemite National Park, reported 72 inches of snow in 24 hours.
Continue below to see the most extreme temperatures in the history of other states in your region.
Arizona by the numbers
- All-time highest temperature: 128° F (Lake Havasu City on June 29, 1994)
- All-time lowest temperature: -40° F (Hawley Lake on Jan. 7, 1971)
- All-time highest 24-hour precipitation: 11.4 inches (Workman Creek 1 on Sept. 4–5, 1970)
- All-time highest 24-hour snowfall: 38 inches (Heber (Black Mesa) Ranger Station on Dec. 14, 1967)
Heber Black Mesa Ranger Station is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Phoenix and is a ranger district on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. On Dec. 14, 1967, this part of Arizona suffered from an unexpected natural disaster in the form of a non-stop snowfall that lasted eight days and came to be known as The Blizzard of 1967.
Nevada by the numbers
- All-time highest temperature: 125° F (Laughlin on June 29, 1994)
- All-time lowest temperature: -50° F (San Jacinto on Jan. 8, 1937)
- All-time highest 24-hour precipitation: 7.78 inches (Mt. Charleston Fire Station on Oct. 20, 2004)
- All-time highest 24-hour snowfall: 36 inches (Daggett Pass on Dec. 21, 1996)
Nevada is no stranger to extreme heat. While the hottest day in Nevada was recorded in Laughlin in 1994, in late August 2019, an excessive heat warning was issued to the residents of Las Vegas as the temperature slid up to 110 degrees. Studies show residents will likely be at an increased risk from exposure to extreme heat due to climate change.
