On this day in history: A cold start on this date in 1936

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Created on Thursday, 16 February 2012 08:11

Last Updated on Thursday, 16 February 2012 08:13

Written by National Weather Service Des Moines

In 1936, the third week of February was intensely cold with every station in Iowa reporting low temperatures below zero for six consecutive days from the 14th-19th and many stations across the northern two thirds of the state reaching -10 F or lower on each of those days.

Temperatures bottomed out on the 16th when Sioux City set a daily record low temperature for the third consecutive day with a reading of -25 F (after -22 F on the 14th and -20 F on the 15th). Other low temperatures on the morning of the 16th included -28 F at Mason City and Northwood, -30 F at Lake Park, -31 F at Alton and Spencer, and -33 F at Rock Rapids.

At Des Moines the average temperature for the entire month was only 8.0 F, making it easily the coldest February as well as the fourth coldest of any month on record at that location.