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Updated Dec. 4, 2025, 3:07 p.m. CT
At least 14 cities across Iowa tied or broke record low temperatures the morning of Thursday, Dec. 4. Some of them broke records set in the late 1800s.
Iowa was expected to be the coldest state in the U.S. as the polar vortex swept in a brief jolt of winter weather.
Which Iowa cities broke record low temperatures?
- Waterloo: -15 degrees, broke 1991 record of -7 degrees
- Fayette: -14 degrees, broke 1976 record of -12 degrees
- Osage: -13 degrees, broke 1991 record of -9 degrees
- Mason City: -13 degrees, broke 1991 record of -9 degrees
- Estherville: -12 degrees, broke 1991 record of -9 degrees
- Marshalltown: -12 degrees, broke 1895 record of -8 degrees
- Cedar Rapids: -11 degrees, broke 2005 record of -5 degrees
- New Hampton: -11 degrees, broke 1991 record of -9 degrees
- Elkader: -10 degrees, broke 1976 record of -9 degrees
- Fort Dodge: -10 degrees, broke 1991 record of -6 degrees
- Sioux City: -10 degrees, broke record of -9 degrees from 1902 and 1978
- Oelwein: -8 degrees, tied 1991 record of -8 degrees
- Sent: -7 degrees, broke 2005 record of 1 degree
- Dubuque: -7 degrees, broke 1991 of -6 degrees
- Lamoni: -2 degrees, broke 1991 record of 2 degrees
What’s the forecast for the rest of the week?
Winds are expected to ease overnight, but temperatures will remain low.
Temperatures will begin to rise slightly starting Friday, Dec. 5, but people should still be on the lookout for weather advisories.
Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter at the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.
