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July Record Low for Lower 48 States


Scott

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Does anyone know anything about the 10F readings supposedly taken in July in the lower 48?

 

Lolabana Ranch or Painter Wyoming (I assume these were the same reading/location) supposedly recorded a 10 in July 1911 (Manfred North Dakota did record a 23 during the same cold snap).   I do know where Painter Wyoming is and assume that Lolabana Ranch is the same location.

 

Breckenridge Colorado supposedly recorded a 10 in July 1891, but I assume it was actually recorded at one of the nearby high elevation mines rather than in town.   10 might be possible in some of the high elevation basins subject to cold air pooling.

 

Copper Basin Idaho also has a reported 10 on 7/6/1986.

 

I haven't been able to find much on the older readings in Wyoming and Colorado.

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Does anyone know anything about the 10F readings supposedly taken in July in the lower 48?

 

Lolabana Ranch or Painter Wyoming (I assume these were the same reading/location) supposedly recorded a 10 in July 1911 (Manfred North Dakota did record a 23 during the same cold snap).   I do know where Painter Wyoming is and assume that Lolabana Ranch is the same location.

 

Breckenridge Colorado supposedly recorded a 10 in July 1891, but I assume it was actually recorded at one of the nearby high elevation mines rather than in town.   10 might be possible in some of the high elevation basins subject to cold air pooling.

 

Copper Basin Idaho also has a reported 10 on 7/6/1986.

 

I haven't been able to find much on the older readings in Wyoming and Colorado.

The location is listed as "Lolabama Ranch" in the July 1911 Wyoming Climatological Report though there's nowhere else in the state that dropped below 20 that month, however station coverage is sparse back then. The station was in Park County at 7,052' and Mary Painter was the observer (so it seems to be the same station). 10 degrees on 7/21/1911. It was definitely a cool period with high temps at the station from 7/20-7/26 only in the 50s.

 

Utah Climate Center gives the elevation at Painter as 6800' and the coordinates as 44.75, -109.5

 

The Breckenridge reading is probably dubious...I recall looking at the July 1891 report and nowhere else in the state was below 30 (out of the couple dozen stations). Since a medical doctor was the observer it's doubtful the reading was in a remote area. The coldest July Breckenridge reading from 1893 onward was 20 on 7/16/1907.

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If the Lolabama Ranch and Breckenridge readings are deemed dubious (due to lack of corroborating reports) the following would probably be the top 5 coldest July readings in the lower 48:

10 Copper Basin, ID 7/6/1986
12 Bodie, CA 7/1/1997

12 Climax, CO 7/4/1995

13 Peter Sink, UT 7/29/2015

14 Fremont, OR 7/2/1955

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If the Lolabama Ranch and Breckenridge readings are deemed dubious (due to lack of corroborating reports) the following would probably be the top 5 coldest July readings in the lower 48:

 

10 Copper Basin, ID 7/6/1986

12 Bodie, CA 7/1/1997

12 Climax, CO 7/4/1995

13 Peter Sink, UT 7/29/2015

14 Fremont, OR 7/2/1955

 

Also 12 at White Mountain 2 on 7/15/1970.

 

Snake River Wyoming also had a reported 10 on 7/14/1955, but it doesn't seem likely even though it is a cold location.  

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 10 degrees on 7/21/1911. It was definitely a cool period with high temps at the station from 7/20-7/26 only in the 50s.

 

 

Weird.   There were some weather stations in and around Yellowstone during that time period.  

 

Snake River is very near to the Lolabana Ranch.   7/20 through 7/25 was not a cool period at Snake River.   In fact, it was a warm period at the closest weather station.   Snake River was actually in the 80's for 4 out of 5 of those days, which is warm for the location.    It was 29 on the 23rd, but the other days were warmer.    Old Faithful wasn't very cold either, though the 23rd did record a 31.   All other readings during that time period were between the upper 30's to mid 40's.  High temperatures were around 70 for that time period, which isn't unusual.  

 

Farther out, places like Lander (which isn't nearly as close as the above) were also quite warm during that time period.  

 

The 10 reading at the Lolabana Ranch doesn't seem to be collaborated with the nearby weather stations.   

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Weird.   There were some weather stations in and around Yellowstone during that time period.  

 

Snake River is very near to the Lolabana Ranch.   7/20 through 7/25 was not a cool period at Snake River.   In fact, it was a warm period at the closest weather station.   Snake River was actually in the 80's for 4 out of 5 of those days, which is warm for the location.    It was 29 on the 23rd, but the other days were warmer.    Old Faithful wasn't very cold either, though the 23rd did record a 31.   All other readings during that time period were between the upper 30's to mid 40's.  High temperatures were around 70 for that time period, which isn't unusual.  

 

Farther out, places like Lander (which isn't nearly as close as the above) were also quite warm during that time period.  

 

The 10 reading at the Lolabana Ranch doesn't seem to be collaborated with the nearby weather stations.   

Yes it should probably be considered suspect.

 

Lolabama Ranch also had a 13 supposedly on 7/23/1911.

 

If both are dismissed the Wyoming state record low for July is 15 at Darwin Ranch on 7/8/1981. That is pretty in-line with the Montana July record (15 at Bowen on 7/18/1919).

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After looking through the data for Painter, I don't think the reading is valid.  Maybe the thermometer was malfunctioning during that time period?

 

If it were, the following took place:

 

1.  The record low in Painter is lower in July than in September (the September record low is 13)

 

2.  Other than 1911, the lowest July reading is 25.   The supposed average July low in Painter than that.   This is 11 degrees colder than than the next coldest July.

 

3.  The record low in Painter was set 12 times in July when compared to the other years. 

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After looking through the data for Painter, I don't think the reading is valid.  Maybe the thermometer was malfunctioning during that time period?

 

If it were, the following took place:

 

1.  The record low in Painter is lower in July than in September (the September record low is 13)

 

2.  Other than 1911, the lowest July reading is 25.   The supposed average July low in Painter than that.   This is 11 degrees colder than than the next coldest July.

 

3.  The record low in Painter was set 12 times in July when compared to the other years. 

 

Definitely sounds suspect.

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If the Lolabama Ranch and Breckenridge readings are deemed dubious (due to lack of corroborating reports) the following would probably be the top 5 coldest July readings in the lower 48:

 

10 Copper Basin, ID 7/6/1986

12 Bodie, CA 7/1/1997

12 Climax, CO 7/4/1995

13 Peter Sink, UT 7/29/2015

14 Fremont, OR 7/2/1955

 

At 8,379 ft. Bodie's average July minimum is 34.2°. Can you imagine routinely waking up to frost on summer mornings?  :P  But probably too dry for frost.

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 Can you imagine routinely waking up to frost on summer mornings?  

 

 

I don't have to imagine it since I have seen plenty of frost in summer.   Last summer I worked in Frisco.   There were frost most mornings (nearby Dillon has an average July low of 37, but Frisco is colder than Dillon).

 

I have also worked several summers in Fraser, which only has a growing season of 4-9 days, depending on which weather station and time period you look at.

 

http://images.summitpost.org/original/998796.JPG

 

Bodie's growing season isn't much longer:

 

http://images.summitpost.org/original/998797.JPG

 

Bodie is quite a bit warmer in winter than Fraser though.  

 

As for my house, we do have frost in summer, but not nearly as many as places like Bodie or Fraser.  Last year the last frost at the official weather station on July 12 (though after the 31, the official high was 86 that day), but at the house I usually have more summer frost than at the official weather station.

 

http://images.summitpost.org/original/997077.JPG

 

July frost at the official weather station are only occasional.  

 

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