In the summer of 1988 Sioux Falls melted under a record-breaking heatwave. The city hit its highest temperature ever, for a second time.

For South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, and the rest of the Midwest, June 1988 was egg frying on the sidewalk hot. The heat plus a serious ongoing drought were making life miserable.

In fact, nearly every state in the country had temperatures in the 90s and above that June. That year in Minnesota, the Twin Cities had 44 days over 90 degrees (they usually have around 13)..

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According to a United Press International report from the time, the heat was so strong that roads were buckling, some towns were rationing water, and swimming pools were too hot to offer relief.

Sioux Falls reached a high temperature of 110 degrees on June 21, 1988, as part of a run of several days past the century mark. The city even got mentioned on the national evening news.

That 110 degrees tied the all-time hottest temperature recorded in Sioux Falls. That first recorded occurrence was July 17, 1936, during the dust bowl years.

Other towns in that area set heat records on June 21:

  • 109 in Huron
  • 108 in Aberdeen
  • 108 in Sioux City
  • 106 in Lincoln, Nebraska
  • 105 in Bismark, North Dakota

The June 1988 heat wave was part of a devastating drought that savaged the country that year. The Weather Channel describes it as "...the worst in the Midwest since the 'Dust Bowl' years in the mid-1930s. Damage and costs related to the drought amounted to $40 billion, and there were over 5,000 related fatalities, including heat stress-related."

It was so bad that barge traffic on the Mississippi River had to stop for while because the river was too low. Less than a half-inch of rain fell in Minneapolis, Minnesota that June when their average rainfall for the month is over four inches.

The drought was felt all over the central US in 1988. Many places started June already in bad shape having received less than 50% of normal precipitation. The drought peaked in mid-July. By the end, 45% of the country dealt with drought conditions.

Sources: The Weather Channel, UPI, National Weather Service

The Coldest Temperatures in Sioux Falls History

When a polar vortex rolls through Sioux Falls, it can get even the heartiest dreaming of indoor fires, baking, and hot chocolate.

Mr. Bendo is tough enough but for the love of Pete, someone put a scarf on the Statue of David!

All this icy chatter had us wondering about the coldest days ever recorded in Sioux Falls. Here is the historical data from the National Weather Service with the coldest temps ever recorded in Sioux Falls since record-keeping began in 1893.

30 Ways You Might Have Already Broken the Law Today

Most of us try the best we can to be law-abiding citizens, but did you know that you may have been breaking the law without even realizing it?

BestLifeOnline has a list of 30 of the most common transgressions. How many have you been guilty of over the years?

Out of 30, I am guilty of 19. And no I won't tell you which ones.



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