Dear Tom,
Has every one of the 50 states recorded a temperature of 100 degrees or higher?
Rev. Ray Cosentino, Homer Glen
Dear Ray,
Yes, all 50 states have reached the century mark, but our two newest states barely made the cut. The only time Alaska reached triple digits was on June 27, 1915, with a high of 100 degrees at Ft. Yukon. Pahala, on the Big Island of Hawaii, holds the honors for that state’s hottest day with a 100-degree high on April 27, 1931. With the exception of New England, where the all-time state highs hover around 105, the rest of the country’s highest readings have topped 110 degrees.
Illinois’ hottest is 117 degrees set at East St. Louis on July 14, 1954.
The nation’s hottest reading, a blazing 134 degrees, was recorded at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, Calif., on July 10, 1913.
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