The Coldest Temperatures Ever Recorded in Every US State
All 50 states ranked by their all-time record lows — from Alaska's -80°F to Hawaii's 15°F. Plus the six coldest days in American history, and why new cold records are vanishing faster than you'd think.
The coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States is -80°F (-62.2°C), measured at Prospect Creek Camp in Alaska on January 23, 1971. For the lower 48 states, it's -70°F at Rogers Pass, Montana in 1954.
But the national record only tells part of the story. I've compiled every state's all-time low from NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee records and cross-referenced them with 55 years of daily station data. What stands out isn't just how cold it got — it's where, when, and how the pattern of extreme cold is shifting. New Hampshire's record has held since 1885. Illinois set its state record just seven years ago. And the ratio of new record highs to record lows has gone from 1:1 to 6:1 within a generation.
-80°F: The Day Prospect Creek Froze
Prospect Creek Camp sat about 25 miles southeast of the Arctic community of Bettles, Alaska. In January 1971, it housed construction workers building the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. On the morning of January 23rd, the mercury dropped to -80°F — and that was the low. The high that day? -64°F.
The reading was verified by the National Weather Service and made front-page news in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. It came within 1°F of the North American record of -81.4°F, set at Snag, Yukon in 1947 — less than 300 miles from Prospect Creek.
For Context: -80°F
At -80°F, exposed skin frostbites in under 30 seconds. Tires shatter. Steel becomes brittle. Antifreeze thickens to sludge. Rubber gaskets crack. The workers at Prospect Creek kept diesel engines running 24 hours a day — once shut off, they might never restart. It's colder than the average surface temperature of Mars (-80°F), and only Antarctica has recorded lower temperatures on Earth.
For the coldest temperature on Earth, you have to go to Vostok Station, Antarctica: -128.6°F (-89.2°C), recorded on July 21, 1983. Satellite data has detected surface temperatures as low as -144°F on the East Antarctic Plateau, though those aren't official records since they weren't measured at ground level.
All-Time Record Low for Every US State
Ranked from coldest to warmest. Every temperature below is the official all-time minimum recorded by NOAA-verified stations. Click any state to see its full weather history and records.
| # | State | Record Low | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AlaskaUS all-time record | -80°F | Prospect Creek | Jan 23, 1971 |
| 2 | MontanaLower 48 record | -70°F | Rogers Pass | Jan 20, 1954 |
| 3 | Utah | -69°F | Peter Sinks | Feb 1, 1985 |
| 4 | Wyoming | -66°F | Riverside | Feb 9, 1933 |
| 5 | Colorado | -61°F | Maybell | Feb 1, 1985 |
| 6 | Idaho | -60°F | Island Park | Jan 18, 1943 |
| 6 | Minnesota | -60°F | Tower | Feb 2, 1996 |
| 6 | North Dakota | -60°F | Parshall | Feb 15, 1936 |
| 6 | South Dakota | -60°F | McIntosh | Feb 17, 1936 |
| 10 | New Mexico | -50°F | Gavilan | Feb 1, 1951 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | -55°F | Couderay | Feb 4, 1996 |
| 11 | Oregon | -54°F | Seneca | Feb 10, 1933 |
| 12 | New York | -52°F | Old Forge | Feb 18, 1979 |
| 13 | Michigan | -51°F | Vanderbilt | Feb 9, 1934 |
| 14 | Maine | -50°F | Clayton Lake | Jan 16, 2009 |
| 14 | Nevada | -50°F | San Jacinto | Jan 8, 1937 |
| 14 | New HampshireOldest standing state record (141 years) | -50°F | Mt. Washington | Jan 22, 1885 |
| 14 | Vermont | -50°F | Bloomfield | Dec 30, 1933 |
| 18 | Washington | -48°F | Mazama | Dec 30, 1968 |
| 19 | Iowa | -47°F | Elkader | Feb 3, 1996 |
| 19 | Nebraska | -47°F | Oshkosh | Dec 22, 1989 |
| 21 | California | -45°F | Boca | Jan 20, 1937 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | -42°F | Smethport | Jan 5, 1904 |
| 23 | Arizona | -40°F | Hawley Lake | Jan 7, 1971 |
| 23 | Kansas | -40°F | Lebanon | Feb 13, 1905 |
| 23 | Maryland | -40°F | Oakland | Jan 13, 1912 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | -40°F | Chester | Jan 22, 1984 |
| 23 | Missouri | -40°F | Warsaw | Feb 13, 1905 |
| 28 | Ohio | -39°F | Milligan | Feb 10, 1899 |
| 29 | IllinoisMost recent state record set | -38°F | Mt. Carroll | Jan 31, 2019 |
| 30 | Connecticut | -37°F | Norfolk | Feb 16, 1943 |
| 30 | Kentucky | -37°F | Shelbyville | Jan 19, 1994 |
| 30 | West Virginia | -37°F | Lewisburg | Dec 30, 1917 |
| 33 | Indiana | -36°F | New Whiteland | Jan 19, 1994 |
| 34 | North Carolina | -34°F | Mt. Mitchell | Jan 21, 1985 |
| 34 | New Jersey | -34°F | River Vale | Jan 5, 1904 |
| 36 | Tennessee | -32°F | Mountain City | Dec 30, 1917 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | -31°F | Nowata | Feb 10, 2011 |
| 38 | Virginia | -30°F | Mountain Lake | Jan 22, 1985 |
| 39 | Arkansas | -29°F | Gravette | Feb 13, 1905 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | -28°F | Wood River Jct. | Feb 5, 1996 |
| 41 | Alabama | -27°F | New Market | Jan 30, 1966 |
| 42 | Texas | -23°F | Seminole | Feb 8, 1933 |
| 43 | South Carolina | -22°F | Caesars Head | Jan 21, 1985 |
| 44 | Mississippi | -19°F | Corinth | Jan 30, 1966 |
| 45 | Delaware | -17°F | Millsboro | Jan 17, 1893 |
| 45 | Georgia | -17°F | CCC Camp F-16 | Jan 27, 1940 |
| 47 | Louisiana | -16°F | Minden | Feb 13, 1899 |
| 48 | Florida | -2°F | Tallahassee | Feb 13, 1899 |
| 49 | HawaiiOnly state never below 0°F | +15°F | Mauna Kea | May 17, 1979 |
Source: NOAA State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC), National Weather Service official records. Some state records have disputed or alternative readings — the table uses the most widely accepted official values.
Five Things That Surprised Me in This Data
1. Arizona hit -40°F
People think of Arizona as nothing but scorching desert, but Hawley Lake sits at 8,200 feet in the White Mountains. That's the same reading as Kansas, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Elevation trumps latitude when it comes to extreme cold.
2. California was colder than 30 other states
California's -45°F at Boca (near Truckee in the Sierra Nevada) puts it colder than Ohio, Illinois, Connecticut, Indiana, Tennessee, and the entire Southeast. A state famous for sunshine once produced temperatures that would shut down most Midwest cities.
3. Five records from 1899 still stand
The Great Arctic Outbreak of February 1899 was so extreme that Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, Nebraska, and Texas haven't been colder in 127 years. That's not just climate change at work — it's that the 1899 event was genuinely once-in-multiple-centuries rare.
4. Utah is only 1°F behind Montana for the lower 48 record
Utah's Peter Sinks is a natural cold-air funnel at 8,164 feet in the Bear River Mountains. Dense cold air drains into the basin and pools at the bottom. The -69°F reading came from a calibrated alcohol thermometer verified by the National Bureau of Standards. Researchers think the Sinks could theoretically beat Rogers Pass given the right setup.
The Coldest Days in American History
Six events that define the extremes of American cold. Some set records that still stand. The most recent one happened in 2019.
The Great Arctic Outbreak
Sub-zero temperatures reached every state then in the Union. Tallahassee hit -2°F. New Orleans dropped to 6°F. Five state records from this event still stand today — Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, Nebraska, and Texas. Over 100 deaths, catastrophic crop losses across the South.
The Dust Bowl Cold Wave
The coldest February on record for the contiguous US. Set state records for North Dakota (-60°F at Parshall) and South Dakota (-60°F at McIntosh). Came during the broader Dust Bowl era — the same decade that produced the hottest US temperatures on record.
Prospect Creek, Alaska
Pipeline workers at Prospect Creek Camp woke to the coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States. The HIGH that day was -64°F. The camp thermometer bottomed out at -80°F — just 1°F warmer than Snag, Yukon's North American record of -81°F.
January 1985 Arctic Outbreak
A ferocious Arctic air mass set state records across the mountain West and Southeast simultaneously. Utah's Peter Sinks hit -69°F (2nd coldest in the lower 48 ever). Colorado hit -61°F at Maybell. North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia all set their all-time records the same week.
The Groundhog Day Freeze
Tower, Minnesota plunged to -60°F on February 2nd. That same week, Wisconsin (-55°F at Couderay), Iowa (-47°F at Elkader), and Rhode Island (-28°F at Wood River Junction) all set state records. Four states in one event — the last time multiple state records fell simultaneously.
Polar Vortex Collapse
The jet stream buckled, sending polar air deep into the Midwest. Illinois set a new state record at -38°F (Mount Carroll) — the most recent all-time state record set anywhere in the US. Chicago O'Hare hit -23°F with wind chills near -50°F. At least 22 deaths.
What About January 2026?
The January–February 2026 cold wave was nasty. A polar vortex disruption pushed Arctic air deep into the eastern US. Forest Center, Minnesota hit -42°F. Cleveland had 8 straight days with highs at or below 17°F — tying records from 1893 and 1899. A bomb cyclone in late February brought blizzard conditions from the Mid-Atlantic to New England.
But here's the thing: no state all-time records fell. Thousands of daily records broke, but the all-time marks held. That tracks with the broader trend. The most recent state all-time cold record was set in Illinois in 2019. Before that, it was Oklahoma in 2011 and Maine in 2009.
Meanwhile, the same month the East was freezing, the western US was setting warm records. CNN called it a "split screen nation." And globally, January 2026 was still one of the warmest Januaries on record. The cold was real and dangerous — but it was regional and temporary, not a sign that the warming trend had reversed.
Coldest Temperatures by Region
Where the cold hits hardest varies by geography, elevation, and proximity to Arctic air masses.
Mountain West
Home to the coldest temperatures in the lower 48. Montana (-70°F), Utah (-69°F), Wyoming (-66°F), and Colorado (-61°F) all rank in the top 5. High elevation valleys trap cold air through temperature inversions — Peter Sinks, Utah sits at 8,164 feet in a natural cold-air funnel.
Upper Midwest
Three states tied at -60°F. The flat, open terrain of the northern Plains offers zero wind protection, and proximity to the Canadian Arctic means cold air masses arrive with minimal modification. The February 1996 event set records in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa in a single week.
Northeast
New York's -52°F at Old Forge (Adirondacks) leads the region. Four states — Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Nevada — share the -50°F mark. New Hampshire's record has stood since 1885, making it the longest-standing state cold record at 141 years.
Southeast
The "warm" region still gets cold — North Carolina's Mount Mitchell hit -34°F. Florida's -2°F at Tallahassee (1899) proves that extreme Arctic outbreaks can push sub-zero air all the way to the Gulf. That record has stood for 127 years.
Plains & South Central
Kansas and Missouri both hit -40°F on the same day (February 13, 1905). Oklahoma's -31°F at Nowata was set surprisingly recently — February 2011 — during the same cold wave that paralyzed the Texas power grid years before the more famous 2021 event.
Southwest
The desert gets cold at night — elevation matters more than latitude. Arizona hit -40°F at Hawley Lake (8,200 ft elevation). Even California reached -45°F at Boca, near Truckee in the Sierra Nevada. Hawaii's 15°F atop Mauna Kea is the only state record above zero.
Record Highs vs. Record Lows: The Ratio Is Shifting Fast
This is the data point that sticks with me. In a stable climate, new daily record highs and record lows should occur at roughly equal rates. That held through the mid-20th century. It doesn't hold anymore.
Ratio of new daily record highs to record lows at US weather stations. Bar length represents the proportion of record highs. Source: NOAA GHCN-Daily, Climate Central, NSF.
What the Research Projects
Peer-reviewed studies published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences project the ratio could reach 20:1 by mid-century and 50:1 by 2100 under moderate emissions scenarios. That doesn't mean cold records disappear entirely — polar vortex disruptions still happen, and they can produce extreme cold. But the baseline keeps shifting. The second warmest winter in US history just happened months before the most astonishing March heat wave of the century. The cold events are getting rarer. The warm events aren't.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States?
-80°F (-62.2°C) at Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska on January 23, 1971. For the lower 48 states, it's -70°F at Rogers Pass, Montana on January 20, 1954. Both records have stood for over 50 years and are unlikely to be broken.
What is the coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth?
-128.6°F (-89.2°C) at Vostok Station, Antarctica on July 21, 1983. That's nearly 50°F colder than the US record. Satellite measurements have detected East Antarctic surface temperatures as low as -144°F, but these aren't official records because they weren't measured by ground-based instruments.
Which US state has the coldest all-time record?
Alaska at -80°F (Prospect Creek, 1971). For the contiguous US: Montana at -70°F, followed by Utah at -69°F, Wyoming at -66°F, and Colorado at -61°F. Eighteen states have hit -50°F or colder.
Is the US getting fewer record cold temperatures?
Yes. The ratio of new record highs to new record lows has shifted from about 1:1 in the 1950s to roughly 6:1 in the 2020s. The most recent state all-time cold record was Illinois in 2019 (-38°F). Extreme cold still happens during polar vortex disruptions, but new all-time records are increasingly rare. Researchers project the ratio could hit 50:1 by 2100.
Data Sources & Methodology
State all-time records are from the NOAA State Climate Extremes Committee and National Weather Service official records. Decade trend ratios are derived from NOAA GHCN-Daily observations at US weather stations, with analysis by Climate Central and the National Science Foundation. Future projections (20:1 by 2050, 50:1 by 2100) from peer-reviewed research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. January 2026 cold wave data from the National Weather Service and the Wisconsin Climatology Office. Some state records have disputed or alternative readings — this article uses the most widely accepted NOAA-verified values.
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