Coldest April temp recorded since 1899

Last Friday morning, Ekalaka reached -8 degrees, the lowest ever temperature for the date and the second lowest ever temperature for the entire month of April. The record low for an April day in Ekalaka of -11 degrees was recorded on April 1 of 1899, over 120 years ago.

April temperatures in Ekalaka have only ever dropped below zero a handful of times. The last time it happened, prior to April 3 of this year, was on April 3 of 2002 when it reached -5 degrees. Four times the mercury has read -6 degrees in April, and in April of 1986 it reached -2 degrees.

On Monday, Ekalaka hit a high temperature of 65 degrees, quite a change from last Friday’s record breaking cold, but nowhere near the highest ever temperature for the date (81 degrees on April 6, 1969). The highest ever temperature for an April day in Ekalaka of 90 degrees was set on April 30, 1926.