Bitter Cold Continues with Temps 20-to-30-Degrees Below Normal

DES MOINES, Iowa -- It hasn't been this cold in decades.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines says the long range 14-day forecast includes sub-zero overnight low temperatures that haven't been seen since 1996.

Highs will be in the single digits and lows will be ten to 30-degrees below normal throughout most of the week.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Roger Vachalek says the low temperature on January 30, 1996 was negative-13 degrees.

The low temp the very next day was negative-21 degrees.

"I would say that was much worse than this in absolute terms, but again if you haven't lived through this before, a long stretch of cold weather, of course it always seems bad."

The lowest ever recorded temperature in Des Moines was set in the 1800s.

The record low in Des Moines was negative-30 degrees on January 5, 1884.


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