At least three cities recorded all-time record low temperatures on Thursday morning. Pending official recognition of the recorded temperatures, the following cities broke their all-time low-temperature records: Moline, Illinois; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Rockford, Illinois.
Daily records were shattered in hundreds of cities and towns all across the Midwest and the Eastern United States.
On Thursday morning, Moline, Illinois had recorded temperatures of -33 degrees Fahrenheit. The previous record occurred on January 16th, 2009 when temperatures fell to 27 degrees below zero. The new record is 6 degrees less. Also on Thursday, Cedar Rapids, Iowa recorded temperatures of -29 degrees, beating the previous low-record by 1 degree which occurred on January 15th, 2009.
Rockford, Illinois hasn’t been this cold since January 10th, 1982! On Thursday morning temperatures fell to -30 degrees, beating the 1982 record by three degrees which was recorded as -27 degrees Fahrenheit.
As for daily records, many cities set these. Most drastically, International Falls, Minnesota was 10 degrees lower. In 1996, the record was set at -35 degrees, but on Thursday, that record was shattered with frigid temperatures of -45 degrees.
Detroit, Michigan also had record breaking lows beating the last record set back in 1920 by 7 degrees. It was -14 degrees vs. -7 degrees in 1920. Other cities with record-breaking daily lows include:
Aside from these cities, preliminary reports show that more than 340 cities or towns set broke their all-time record low temperatures this week. During the arctic blast that swept across the Midwest and the eastern United States, residents experienced school closings, travel disruptions, and even mail delivery issues.
The polar vortex has caused at least 21 deaths. The deaths were the result of below-freezing temperatures and accidents. Thankfully, the polar vortex that brought many cities to a halt is on it’s way out and nearing the end of sub-zero temperatures. Temperatures are expected to rise as much as 80 degrees in some areas bringing some much-needed relief from the deadly cold.
