99 cherokee 4.o water temp?

Hi all, new to the forum. Quick question about my jeeps water temp.

With a heat index today of about 103, the jeeps gauge showed water temp at the first line above 210 (so 220?). This is common for the summer, and I've never thought anything of it, especially with the A/C on full blast, pushing 33" tires, and with my winch in front of the grill.

Out of curiosity, I plugged up my scangauge ii, and it said water temp was at 245 (dash still at 220). Jeep was showing no physical signs of overheating.

Just curious as to if this is normal, or if I should look into it deeper. Has anyone else noticed this type of discrepancy?

Factory gauges are know to be inaccurate. You need an IR temp gun, and/or a mechanical gauge to confirm actual temp.
Consider testing/replacing your mech fan clutch.

The dash gauges on my 97 XJ and 01 XJ do not read the same after 210F. I'd say the 97 XJ reads "true temperature" and the 01 XJ is "dumbed down". On my 97 XJ it will be 3/4 to the hash mark past 210F and the e-fan will kick in - its programmed to cut in at 218F. On my 01 XJ it will be hanging on to 210F and the e-fan will kick in - its programmed to cut in at 223F. The PCM controls the dash cluster... gauge "inaccuracy" may be related to PCM control, or bad grounds/signal connections.