The Illinois state record low temperature appears to have been broken this morning. A volunteer weather observing station at Mount Carroll, in far northwest Illinois, registered a low of 38 below zero.

The existing record of 36 below zero was set here in central Illinois back on January 5, 1999, near the town of Congerville (located between Peoria and Bloomington).

As is the protocol in these situations, a state climate extremes committee will be reviewing the data, and verifying the accuracy of the equipment, before the record is officially certified. This may take several days to complete.