How extreme does Joplin's weather get?

The hottest, coldest, wettest and snowiest days Joplin has recorded — the outer limits of what its weather can do, and how far they sit beyond a normal day.

Based on 50+ years of daily weather observations (1971–present), from the Joplin Rgnl Ap station 8 km away. Updated through May 2026 — an all-time extreme only changes when a more extreme day actually occurs, so some dates are old. That is normal, not stale data.

The four kinds of extreme

The hottest, coldest, wettest and snowiest single days Joplin has recorded — each shown against what a normal day that time of year looks like.

🔥 Hottest day

110°F Aug 2, 2011

That is about 20°F hotter than a normal August afternoon in Joplin (typical high near 90°F).

The three most extreme on record

1 110°F Aug 2, 2011

2 109°F Jul 29, 2012

3 108°F Jul 17, 1980

❄️ Coldest night

-15°F Dec 22, 1989

About 44°F colder than a normal December night in Joplin (typical low near 29°F).

The three most extreme on record

1 -15°F Dec 22, 1989

2 -15°F Dec 23, 1989

3 -15°F Feb 16, 2021

🌧️ Most rain in one day

7.12 in Sep 30, 1986

More rain in a single day than Joplin usually gets in the whole month of September (typical September total about 4.2 in).

The three most extreme on record

1 7.12 in Sep 30, 1986

2 6.85 in Jul 3, 1976

3 5.71 in May 7, 2008

⛄ Most snow in one day

11.5 in Feb 2, 2011

The three most extreme on record

1 11.5 in Feb 2, 2011

2 9.0 in Mar 9, 1975

3 8.2 in Dec 14, 1987

How hot and cold it gets, month by month

The shaded band is the normal range of daily temperatures for each month. The dots show the most extreme it has ever been — so you can see how far beyond a normal day the records really sit.

normal range of daily temperatureshottest ever recordedcoldest ever recorded

Joplin's record heat sits well above even a hot day for the season — August's 110°F is about 20°F beyond a normal hot afternoon. Its record cold is just as far below a normal winter night — the dots mark how rare each extreme really is.

In plain terms

In a normal year, Joplin's warmest days reach the low 90s°F and its coldest nights drop to the mid-20s°F. But across the record it has gone as high as 110°F and as low as −15°F. A single day has delivered over 7 inches of rain or close to 12 inches of snow. Those are the outer edges worth knowing if you are moving here, planning a trip, or thinking about a house.

Methodology & sources

Temperature & precipitation — the official 1991–2020 climate normals from NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals, measured at Joplin Rgnl AP (NOAA GHCN station USW00013987), about 8 km from the city centre.

How we build these numbers →

← Joplin city detail