TN’s most extreme temperatures in state history
On August 16, 2020, California’s Death Valley reached 130 degrees Fahrenheit, according to an automated measurement system there, which is one of the highest temperatures ever recorded on the planet. The world record, also recorded in Death Valley, was 134 degrees in July 1913.
More than 210 degrees Fahrenheit separates the highest and lowest temperatures on record in the United States, the world’s third largest country. While some states are infamous for having very hot summers, others are inundated with winter storms and freezing cold. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that summer 2020 was the hottest on record in the Northern Hemisphere and the second hottest summer in the world.
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Stacker consulted 2019 data from NOAA’s State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to create this slideshow illustrating the hottest and coldest temperatures on record for each state. Each slide also reveals the highest 24-hour rainfall record of all time and the highest 24-hour snowfall of all time.
Keep reading to find out your state’s record or check out the national list here.
Tennessee by the numbers
– Highest temperature ever: 113° F (Perryville on August 9, 1930)
– Lowest temperature ever: -32° F (Mountain City on December 30, 1917)
– Highest 24-hour rainfall ever: 13.6 inches (Milan Exp Station on September 13, 1982)
– Highest 24-hour snowfall of all time: 30 inches (Mt. Leconte on March 14, 1993)
West Tennessee experienced heavy rainfall on September 12–13, 1982, after the remnants of Hurricane Chris triggered severe flooding in many waterways in Gibson County. The floods were devastating, causing deaths and damaging local infrastructure. Collateral damage costs the state millions of dollars.
Continue below to see the most extreme temperatures in history for other states in your area.
Alabama in numbers
– Highest temperature of all time: 112° F (Centreville on September 6, 1925)
– Lowest temperature ever: -27°F (New Market 2 on January 30, 1966)
– Highest 24-hour precipitation on record: 32.52 inches (Dauphin Island #2 July 19-20, 1997)
– Highest 24-hour snowfall ever: 20 inches (Walnut Grove March 13, 1993)
Walnut Grove became famous as a town burned during the Civil War. Although another subtropical city, on March 13, 1993, it was covered in 20 inches of snow. The extreme weather was labeled a “Superstorm of 1993” by the National Weather Service due to its strength (equal to a Category 3 hurricane) and size. At one point, the storm system expanded from eastern Canada to Central America.
Arkansas by the Numbers
– Highest temperature ever: 120° F (Ozark on August 10, 1936)
– Lowest temperature ever: -29° F (Gravette on February 13, 1905)
– Highest 24-hour rainfall on record: 14.06 inches (Big Fork 1 SSE on December 3, 1982)
– Highest 24-hour snowfall ever: 25 inches (Corning January 22, 1918)
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“The Great Heat Wave of 1936” hit about 15 states during its three-week run that brought temperatures over 100 degrees. Still, Ozark topped the charts by hitting 120 degrees. Also known as the “North American Heat Wave of 1936”, it exacerbated levels of human suffering during the ongoing Great Depression. Little Rock, Arkansas had to endure its hottest summer of 2010 between June and August when the temperature exceeded 90 degrees for two months.