Comparing States By Extreme Temperatures

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- While Chicago area weather is infamous for rapid change, by one measure it isn't as extreme as many other states.

When calculating the difference between the record highest and lowest temperature, a majority of states west of the Mississippi River have larger margins.

The difference in Illinois is 153 degrees. Compare that to Montana, which has a swing of 187 degrees. The map by Daniel Dalet, using statistics from the National Climate Data Center, was posted on Reddit recently.

The lowest temperature in Illinois was minus 36 degrees, reported in the town of Congerville on Jan. 5, 1999. (Congerville is located north of Interstate 74 between Peoria and Bloomington.)

The highest temperature was 117 degrees, reported in East St. Louis on July 14, 1954.

The map doesn't take into account the fact that many western states have varying climates within their borders, from high-altitude mountain ranges to deserts.

By comparison, Illinois obviously doesn't have those variables.

Still, perhaps its a small consolation as Chicagoans endure another cold, snowy January, with the prospects for spring a distant dream.