See the most extreme temperatures in Hawaii 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.
Hawaii by the numbers
- All-time highest temperature: 100° F (Pahala 21 on April 27, 1931)
- All-time lowest temperature: 12° F (Mauna Kea Observatory 111. on May 17, 1979)
- All-time highest 24-hour precipitation: 38 inches (Kilauea 1134 on Jan. 24–25, 1956)
- All-time highest 24-hour snowfall: 6.5 inches (Haleakala on Feb. 2, 1936)
Hawaii's highest-ever rainfall came in late January of 1956 in Kilauea, Kauai. In April 2018, heavy rainfalls devastated the island of Kauai once again as dozens of homes were left in shambles in the island's towns, including Hanalei, Wainiha, Haena, and Anahola. The floods affected 532 houses in Kauai and Oahu, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
Continue below to see the most extreme temperatures in the history of other states in your region.
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.
Oregon by the numbers
- All-time highest temperature: 119° F (Moody Farms Agrimet on Jun. 29, 2021 and Pelton Dam on Aug. 10, 1898)
- All-time lowest temperature: -54° F (Seneca on Feb. 10, 1933)
- All-time highest 24-hour precipitation: 11.77 inches (Nehalem 9 NE on Nov. 6, 2006)
- All-time highest 24-hour snowfall: 47 inches (Hood River Experiment Station on Jan. 9, 1980)
On June 29, 2021, Moody Farms Agirmet tied Pelton Dam for the hottest summer day ever recorded in Oregon. Pelton Dam set the record first in 1898.
