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50 State Temperature Rankings

There are a lot columns and rows and numbers in this list. All categories, high, low, highest monthly average (HMA), and lowest monthly average (LMA) are listed by rank preceded by the state name.

For example, at ranking level 1, California holds the record for highest temperature (134°), Alaska holds the record for lowest temperature (-80°), Arizona records the highest monthly averages for a year (105.0°) and Alaska records the lowest monthly average temperatures for a year (-21.6°).

Temperatures listed by rank. HMA=Highest monthly average, LMA=Lowest monthly average. (Read across row for state rankings in each category.)
RankList by state State High State Low State HMA State LMA
1 California 134° Alaska -80° Arizona 105.0° Alaska -21.6°
2 Arizona 128° Montana -70° Nevada 104.5° North Dakota -5.1°
3 Nevada 125° Utah -69° California 98.8° Minnesota -2.9°
4 New Mexico 122° Wyoming -66° Texas 98.5° South Dakota 1.9°
5 Kansas 121° Colorado -61° Oklahoma 93.9° Wisconsin 5.4°
6 North Dakota 121° Idaho -60° Arkansas 93.6° Iowa 6.3°
7 Arkansas 120° Minnesota -60° Louisiana 93.3° Vermont 7.7°
8 Oklahoma 120° North Dakota -60° Utah 93.2° Montana 8.1°
9 South Dakota 120° South Dakota -58° Kansas 92.9° Nebraska 8.9°
10 Texas 120° Wisconsin -55° New Mexico 92.8° New Hampshire 9.0°
11 Oregon 119° Oregon -54° Mississippi 92.5° Illinois 9.8°
12 Colorado 118° New York -52° Colorado 92.2° Maine 11.9°
13 Idaho 118° Michigan -51° Georgia 92.2° New York 11.9°
14 Iowa 118° Nevada -50° South Carolina 91.9° Wyoming 11.9°
15 Missouri 118° New Mexico -50° Florida 91.7° Michigan 14.0°
16 Nebraska 118° Vermont -50° Alabama 91.5° Colorado 14.3°
17 Washington 118° Maine -48° Tennessee 91.5° Idaho 15.1°
18 Illinois 117° Washington -48° Idaho 90.6° Ohio 15.5°
19 Montana 117° Iowa -47° Missouri 90.5° Massachusetts 15.6°
20 Utah 117° Nebraska -47° Nebraska 89.5° Kansas 15.7°
21 Indiana 116° New Hampshire -46° Indiana 88.8° Indiana 15.8°
22 Mississippi 115° California -45° Virginia 88.4° Connecticut 16.7°
23 Kentucky 114° Pennsylvania -42° North Carolina 88.3° Pennsylvania 18.0°
24 Louisiana 114° Arizona -40° Kentucky 87.6° Missouri 19.4°
25 Minnesota 114° Kansas -40° Hawaii 87.1° Nevada 19.5°
26 Wisconsin 114° Maryland -40° Illinois 87.1° Utah 19.7°
27 Wyoming 114° Missouri -40° Maryland 87.1° Rhode Island 20.0°
28 Ohio 113° Ohio -39° Wyoming 87.1° Washington 20.0°
29 Tennessee 113° Kentucky -37° Montana 86.6° Texas 21.7°
30 Alabama 112° West Virginia -37° South Dakota 86.5° New Mexico 22.3°
31 Georgia 112° Indiana -36° Iowa 86.2° Kentucky 23.1°
32 Michigan 112° Illinois -35° Pennsylvania 86.2° Delaware 23.2°
33 West Virginia 112° Massachusetts -35° Ohio 85.8° West Virginia 23.9°
34 Pennsylvania 111° New Jersey -34° Delaware 85.6° New Jersey 24.2°
35 South Carolina 111° North Carolina -34° New Jersey 85.6° Maryland 24.3°
36 Delaware 110° Connecticut -32° West Virginia 85.6° Oklahoma 24.8°
37 New Jersey 110° Tennessee -32° New York 85.3° Virginia 26.2°
38 North Carolina 110° Virginia -30° Connecticut 84.8° Arkansas 26.6°
39 Virginia 110° Arkansas -29° North Dakota 84.4° North Carolina 27.3°
40 Florida 109° Alabama -27° Washington 84.0° Tennessee 27.8°
41 Maryland 109° Oklahoma -27° Minnesota 83.4° Alabama 31.0°
42 New York 108° Rhode Island -23° Michigan 83.1° South Carolina 31.2°
43 Massachusetts 107° Texas -23° Wisconsin 82.8° Georgia 32.6°
44 Connecticut 106° Mississippi -19° New Hampshire 82.6° Oregon 32.8°
45 New Hampshire 106° South Carolina -19° Oregon 82.6° Mississippi 34.9°
46 Maine 105° Delaware -17° Massachusetts 81.8° Louisiana 36.2°
47 Vermont 105° Georgia -17° Rhode Island 81.7° California 36.8°
48 Rhode Island 104° Louisiana -16° Vermont 80.5° Arizona 38.1°
49 Alaska 100° Florida -2° Maine 78.9° Florida 39.9°
50 Hawaii 100° Hawaii 12° Alaska 71.8° Hawaii 65.3°
Weather!

Weather!, by Rebecca Rupp. 144 pages. Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (November 1, 2003) Reading level: Ages 9+.

Rebecca Rupp combines impeccable science, 20 exciting experiments, and irresistible facts and lore into a book that will turn every young weather-kid into a know-it-all. Jemima and Rodney, a brother-and-sister team with a right brain/left brain rivalry, guide readers through the book’s scientific concepts and projects — from animal thermometers to Michelangelo's snowman.

Watch How Weather Works, Featuring 22 Experiments for Making Your Own Rain, Tornados, Lighting and Rainbows with Plans for Cool Weather Gizmos!

Source: National Climatic Data Center
Source: Carpenter, Allan & Provose, Carl. The World Almanac® of the U.S.A.. World Almanac Books (An Imprint of K-III Reference Corporation, A K-III Communications Company). Mahwah, N.J., 1996.