Unusual weather trivia that is hard to google

[Scott]

On the flip side, which location in the Lower 48 has the least spread between it's record high and record low?

 

It is probably a tougher one to answer.  

[wx_statman]

This is what I have for April record lows across northern tier states (as well as southern Canada)...corrections welcome.

 

Washington: -7 Lake Keechelus 4/1/1936

Oregon: -23 Meacham 4/1/1936

Idaho: -22 Copper Basin 4/5/1997

Montana: -33 Gates Park 4/2/2002

Wyoming: -29 Lake Yellowstone 4/1/1920

North Dakota: -24 Powers Lake 4/2/1975

South Dakota: -16 Deerfield 4/3/1951

Minnesota: -22 Karlstad 4/6/1979

Wisconsin: -17 Rest Lake 4/1/1923

Michigan: -17 Champion Van Riper Park 4/4/1954 (official), Bergland -34 4/1/1923 (unofficial)

New York: -24 North Lake 4/1/1923

Vermont: -13 Mt Mansfield 4/7/1982

New Hampshire: -20 Mt Washington 4/5/1995

Maine: -14 Clayton Lake 4/2/1964

 

BC: -31 Smith River 4/1/1954

Alberta: -38 Peace River 4/2/1954

Saskatchewan: -40 Key Lake 4/1/1996

Manitoba: -35 Port Nelson 4/14/1923

Ontario: -35 Hornepayne 4/2/1932

Quebec: -35 Doucet 4/1/1923

 

 

FWIW I still consider the -34F at Bergland on 4/1/1923 the official state record low for MI for April, though I understand the skepticism. I'm certainly open to the idea that this reading was not taken with a properly calibrated/sited thermometer. Outside of that reading - Watersmeet, MI fell to -20F on 4/7/1982 (Champion Van Riper Park fell to -16F & Ironwood and Kenton both fell to -12F that day so I would say that reading is corroborated). Champion Van Riper Park also hit -17F on 4/10/1997 in addition to 4/4/1954. I also have a remarkably late -16F on 4/10/1909 at Lac View Desert, MI.

 

Rest Lake, WI supposedly fell to -20F in April 1924 but their daily summary stats show -17F on 4/1/1923 as the monthly record, which is what you have. The monthly state records table @ Infoplease has the -20F reading:

 

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0930270.html

 

Upon closer inspection this appears to be a typographical error. Unfortunately those Infoplease tables are full of errors and inaccurate/unverifiable readings. The original COOP form for April 1924 shows -15F on the 1st. Its pretty remarkable that Rest Lake was that cold exactly a year to the date after 4/1/1923, but no -20F reading can be found:

 

http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-28CD49E1-F4A7-4EE6-B3B1-430312108575.pdf

 

Interestingly enough, Stanley, ID hit -30F in the same cold wave (on 3/30/1924). Just two days later and this reading would have blown away the official state record low for April of -21F in 1936 @ Alpha. 

 

Wyoming has had a couple close calls with the official state record of -29F @ Lake Yellowstone on 4/1/1920. Old Faithful was -28F on 4/5/1936 and Moran was -28F on 4/3/1945.

 

Dubois, WY hit a ridiculously late -13F on 4/30/1909. This may be a legitimate reading as Cheyenne was 10F that morning and Dubois is a colder location.

 

For South Dakota, Deerfield 4NW has a reading of -22F on the books on 4/2/1975. I notice you have -16F as the state record low for April? I also have Rochford with a ridiculously late -15F on 4/13/1997.

 

For Minnesota, also -22F at Tower on 4/6/1982. And an incredible -32F on 3/31/1975 at Tower (corroborated by -24F at Gunflint Lake 10NW that morning).

 

For Maine, also -14F @ Squa Pan Dam on 4/2/1964. The Clayton Lake reading appears to be from 4/1/1964, not 4/2/1964 as you have listed. I see Clayton Lake has also hit -24F on 3/29/1974.

 

For Alberta, I also have -38.9C (-38F) at Fort Vermillion on 4/4/1920. Identical to the -38.9C (-38F) at Peace River on 4/2/1954 that you have.

 

For Manitoba, I have a close call @ Brochet with -34F on 4/11/1961 and -33F at Wanless on 4/4/1936.

 

Also worth noting that Wabush Lake, Labrador has seen -35F on 4/7/1969.

[wx_statman]

I was thinking it was a tie between Fort Vermilion and Iroquois Falls, but I was unaware of the 103F in Fort Vermilion (I have only seen records up to 101F).  When was the 103F recorded?

 

Supposedly on May 15, 1912. Yeah that definitely looks bogus. Too early in the season to be that hot so far north. Now that I'm taking a closer look at that station, summer 1912 appears suspiciously hot since monthly record highs were supposedly set in May, June, and August. I'm guess an over-exposed thermo? The legitimate all-time record high appears to be 100F on 7/18/1941 (a verifiable historic heat wave), giving this station a range of 178F.

[wx_statman]

I was thinking it was a tie between Fort Vermilion and Iroquois Falls, but I was unaware of the 103F in Fort Vermilion (I have only seen records up to 101F).  When was the 103F recorded?

 

Some other large ranges:

 

Fort Good Hope:   -79F to 95F

Fort Smith:  -71F to 103

Parshall, ND:  -60F to 112F

Steele, ND:  -46F to 121F (probably the most impressive record high of any location I can think of and it appears legitimate)

Mc Intosh, SD:  -58F to 112F

 

I live just east of Maybell Colorado.   The range isn't quite as large here, but is still fairly impressive with -61F to 102F.  

 

Many places in Alaska have huge ranges.   Just a few are below.

Allakaket:  -75F to 94F

Aniak:  -72F to 87F

Bettles:  -70F to 93F

Chandlar Lake:  -74F to 90F

Chicken:  -72F to 91F

Circle:  -67F to 94F

Coldfoot:  -74F to 88F (impressive since the weather station was only operable for 7 years)

College:  -66F to 94F

Eagle:  -71F to 95F

Fairbanks:  -66F to 99F (if the 99F is accurate?)

Galena:  -70F to 92F

Hughes:  -68F to 90F

Kobuk:  -68F to 92F

Minchumina:  -66F to 92F

North Pole:  -67F to 95F

Northway:  -72F to 91F

Prospect Creek:  -80F to 87F (impressive since only 9 years of data is available)

Tanana:  -76F to 94F

Tok:  -71F to 96F

 

Outside of the Western US and Northern Plains, I always thought Warsaw Missouri, with -40F to 118F has a pretty impressive spread.

 

There are some outstanding ranges in the Yukon as well. Mayo has a 177F spread between its all-time records of 97F and -80F.

[wx_statman]

On the flip side, which location in the Lower 48 has the least spread between it's record high and record low?

 

It is probably a tougher one to answer.  

 

Key West? The spread there is 56F (97 to 41).

 

On the west coast probably Eureka @ 67F (87 to 20). At least among stations with a long POR. There are probably other coastal CA stations with shorter POR's that have a smaller spread though.

[BLI snowman]

Key West? The spread there is 56F (97 to 41).

 

On the west coast probably Eureka @ 67F (87 to 20). At least among stations with a long POR. There are probably other coastal CA stations with shorter POR's that have a smaller spread though.

 

Yeah, I would think it would have to be Key West.

 

The Keys are the only stretch of the lower 48 that hasn't seen a freeze (up to Tavernier) in modern records.

[wx_statman]

Yeah, I would think it would have to be Key West.

 

The Keys are the only stretch of the lower 48 that hasn't seen a freeze (up to Tavernier) in modern records.

 

I would be shocked if it was any other location. Looks like I was off by 1F though. Spread appears to be 57F (98 to 41). 

[wx_statman]

Another impressive one was mid November 1955 for the Pacific Northwest and the west side of the Rockies.  Even Salt Lake City dropped down to -14F.   Seattle dropped to 6F and Olympia -1F.  No other November cold snap even comes close.   It was especially impressive since it happened on November 15-16 rather than late in the month.  

 

Well yeah, that's the most impressive one of them all. I thought we were trying to bring to light other out-of-season cold waves, since 1955 was so obvious. 

[IbrChris]

FWIW I still consider the -34F at Bergland on 4/1/1923 the official state record low for MI for April, though I understand the skepticism. I'm certainly open to the idea that this reading was not taken with a properly calibrated/sited thermometer. Outside of that reading - Watersmeet, MI fell to -20F on 4/7/1982 (Champion Van Riper Park fell to -16F & Ironwood and Kenton both fell to -12F that day so I would say that reading is corroborated). Champion Van Riper Park also hit -17F on 4/10/1997 in addition to 4/4/1954. I also have a remarkably late -16F on 4/10/1909 at Lac View Desert, MI.

 

Rest Lake, WI supposedly fell to -20F in April 1924 but their daily summary stats show -17F on 4/1/1923 as the monthly record, which is what you have. The monthly state records table @ Infoplease has the -20F reading:

 

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0930270.html

 

Upon closer inspection this appears to be a typographical error. Unfortunately those Infoplease tables are full of errors and inaccurate/unverifiable readings. The original COOP form for April 1924 shows -15F on the 1st. Its pretty remarkable that Rest Lake was that cold exactly a year to the date after 4/1/1923, but no -20F reading can be found:

 

http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-28CD49E1-F4A7-4EE6-B3B1-430312108575.pdf

 

Interestingly enough, Stanley, ID hit -30F in the same cold wave (on 3/30/1924). Just two days later and this reading would have blown away the official state record low for April of -21F in 1936 @ Alpha. 

 

Wyoming has had a couple close calls with the official state record of -29F @ Lake Yellowstone on 4/1/1920. Old Faithful was -28F on 4/5/1936 and Moran was -28F on 4/3/1945.

 

Dubois, WY hit a ridiculously late -13F on 4/30/1909. This may be a legitimate reading as Cheyenne was 10F that morning and Dubois is a colder location.

 

For South Dakota, Deerfield 4NW has a reading of -22F on the books on 4/2/1975. I notice you have -16F as the state record low for April? I also have Rochford with a ridiculously late -15F on 4/13/1997.

 

For Minnesota, also -22F at Tower on 4/6/1982. And an incredible -32F on 3/31/1975 at Tower (corroborated by -24F at Gunflint Lake 10NW that morning).

 

For Maine, also -14F @ Squa Pan Dam on 4/2/1964. The Clayton Lake reading appears to be from 4/1/1964, not 4/2/1964 as you have listed. I see Clayton Lake has also hit -24F on 3/29/1974.

 

For Alberta, I also have -38.9C (-38F) at Fort Vermillion on 4/4/1920. Identical to the -38.9C (-38F) at Peace River on 4/2/1954 that you have.

 

For Manitoba, I have a close call @ Brochet with -34F on 4/11/1961 and -33F at Wanless on 4/4/1936.

 

Also worth noting that Wabush Lake, Labrador has seen -35F on 4/7/1969.

Thanks. Don't know how I missed that April record at Watersmeet...I have the Sept record low as 9 on 28/1942 at Watersmeet yet the April record evaded me somehow.

 

The Bergland reading just seems a stretch given other areas in the Arrowhead of MN which are generally colder weren't in the -30s in that event...however I noted it. Would be an interesting case study for Christopher Burt but most people don't seem to care about record temps unless they are superlatives for the entire year (all-time records).

 

As an aside the data from Hornepayne, Ontario is worth looking at...at face value it appears to be the "Stanley" or "Fraser" of the east...considering its fairly low latitude for Canada (49 N). The station is located east of Lake Superior in south-central Ontario. Some notable records:

 

-62 2/1/1957

-35 4/2/1932

10 6/2/1919

15 7/8/1922

19 8/29/1922

-17 10/28/1933

-62 12/27/1933

 

The location seems to be absolutely frigid in every season.

[Scott]

I would be shocked if it was any other location. Looks like I was off by 1F though. Spread appears to be 57F (98 to 41). 

 

Key West is a possible answer since it has a weather station spanning more than 100 years, but there are some other places that vary even less.

 

The Farallon Island weather station is no longer operating, but there is about 30 years of data available.  Since it was a climate study, the data seems very accurate.  

 

The Farallon Islands are 26 miles off the coast of the Golden Gate Bridge.   Since they are 26 miles off the coast, they are protected from the occasional down slope winds that cause heat waves in San Francisco and being 26 miles from the mainland, they are protected from cold snaps as well.

 

The record low in the Farallon Islands was 38F and the record high is 81F.     Since the temperature varies so little there, even if the weather station did last more than 100 years, it seems doubtful that the range could be as great as that of Key West.

 

 

On the west coast probably Eureka @ 67F (87 to 20). At least among stations with a long POR. There are probably other coastal CA stations with shorter POR's that have a smaller spread though.

 

 

On the mainland, Chris Burt says that Point Pierdas Blancas in California has a record low of 29 and a record high of 85F, but WRCC says that a 91F was recorded on October 21 1965.  Point Pierdas Blancas has 55 years of data, so it might win out over Eureka, even if the 91F is legitimate.  

 

On another note, if the 91F is not legitimate, that would make the record high of 85F on December 6 1959!

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Outside the Lower 48, the least variable place in Alaska with a fairly long period of record might be the Shemya Air Force Base in the Aleutian Islands with a range of 7F to 64F (46 years of data).    

 

Amchitka, also in the Aleutians has a record low of 16F and a record high of 60F, and the temperature on average does vary less than Shemya, but the station has too much missing data to say that temperatures don't vary from those ranges.  

 

In Hawaii, the range at Honomu Mauka is only 35F, with a range of 49F to 84F with 26 years of record.   Even if the weather station lasted longer, temperatures probably wouldn't stray much from this range since they don't vary much from year to year.   It might have the least variable temperature range in Hawaii and the US.

[wx_statman]

Thanks. Don't know how I missed that April record at Watersmeet...I have the Sept record low as 9 on 28/1942 at Watersmeet yet the April record evaded me somehow.

 

The Bergland reading just seems a stretch given other areas in the Arrowhead of MN which are generally colder weren't in the -30s in that event...however I noted it. Would be an interesting case study for Christopher Burt but most people don't seem to care about record temps unless they are superlatives for the entire year (all-time records).

 

As an aside the data from Hornepayne, Ontario is worth looking at...at face value it appears to be the "Stanley" or "Fraser" of the east...considering its fairly low latitude for Canada (49 N). The station is located east of Lake Superior in south-central Ontario. Some notable records:

 

-62 2/1/1957

-35 4/2/1932

10 6/2/1919

15 7/8/1922

19 8/29/1922

-17 10/28/1933

-62 12/27/1933

 

The location seems to be absolutely frigid in every season.

 

Thanks for bringing Hornepayne to my attention. I had never heard of that town before. Armstrong at 50N seems to be another cold spot. Hit -50F on 3/2/1943. Also -33F on 4/2/1932, just 2F from the reading in Hornepayne that morning.

 

Regarding April 1923, there are a number of readings from ON to possibly lend credibility to the Bergland reading:

 

-32F at Savanne (49N) on the 1st

-30F at Hornepayne (49N) on the 1st

-30F at Sioux Lookout (50N) on the 2nd

 

Also -35F at Doucet, QC (48N) on the 1st which you already have as the April record for Quebec. Just something to consider.

 

Digging around some more, I've found readings from April 1982 that exceed the provincial records you have listed for both SK and MB. Carswell Lake, SK at -41F on 4/1/1982. This station only existed from 1980-85 and is located in the far north @ 58.5 latitude. And Ruttan Lake, MB at -36F on 4/2/1982. I also found another -35F in MB @ Laurie River Power Site on 4/11/1961.

 

I've found colder readings for BC and AB as well. Dawson Creek, BC at -37F on 4/2/1954 and Beatton River, BC at -33F on 4/1/1954. In Alberta, the morning of 4/2/1954 brought -41F to Springdale, -40F to Keg River, and -39F to Embarras. 

 

I've located a colder reading for Ontario as well. A station called "Central Patricia" hit -37F on 4/6/1972. This reading is corroborated by -33F at Geraldton as well as several other readings in the -25F to -30F range. 

[wx_statman]

Key West is a possible answer since it has a weather station spanning more than 100 years, but there are some other places that vary even less.

 

The Farallon Island weather station is no longer operating, but there is about 30 years of data available.  Since it was a climate study, the data seems very accurate.  

 

The Farallon Islands are 26 miles off the coast of the Golden Gate Bridge.   Since they are 26 miles off the coast, they are protected from the occasional down slope winds that cause heat waves in San Francisco and being 26 miles from the mainland, they are protected from cold snaps as well.

 

The record low in the Farallon Islands was 38F and the record high is 81F.     Since the temperature varies so little there, even if the weather station did last more than 100 years, it seems doubtful that the range could be as great as that of Key West.

 

 

On the mainland, Chris Burt says that Point Pierdas Blancas in California has a record low of 29 and a record high of 85F, but WRCC says that a 91F was recorded on October 21 1965.  Point Pierdas Blancas has 55 years of data, so it might win out over Eureka, even if the 91F is legitimate.  

 

On another note, if the 91F is not legitimate, that would make the record high of 85F on December 6 1959!

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Outside the Lower 48, the least variable place in Alaska with a fairly long period of record might be the Shemya Air Force Base in the Aleutian Islands with a range of 7F to 64F (46 years of data).    

 

Amchitka, also in the Aleutians has a record low of 16F and a record high of 60F, and the temperature on average does vary less than Shemya, but the station has too much missing data to say that temperatures don't vary from those ranges.  

 

In Hawaii, the range at Honomu Mauka is only 35F, with a range of 49F to 84F with 26 years of record.   Even if the weather station lasted longer, temperatures probably wouldn't stray much from this range since they don't vary much from year to year.   It might have the least variable temperature range in Hawaii and the US.

 

Very interesting information about the Farallon Islands. I'm very familiar with that area (I was an Earth Science major @ UC-Santa Cruz) but I've never seen official weather data for the Farallons. That seems like a believable range though. I have a hard time seeing that location rising much above 80 or dropping much below 35 or so, even without seeing any data first hand. That may very well be the "champion" in the lower 48. 

 

Regarding Point Piedras Blanca, I definitely consider the 91F on 10/21/1965 to be legitimate. That was an impressive ridge of high pressure w/downslope heating. I'm aware of other all-time record highs further up the coast during that event, including 96F at Fort Bragg on the 23rd (period of record 1948-1972). 

 

Looking around the CA coast - Point Reyes only ranged from 90 to 31 in a period of record from 1914-1943. That's a very exposed location. 

[wx_statman]

BTW the world record for lowest temperature spread over a 30 year baseline was supposedly 22F at Garapan, on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. Range of 68 to 90 degrees. I remember reading this information in my 1994 Guinness Book of World Records, a book that I read cover to cover in the days before the Internet. The Garapan entry was under "Most Equable Temperature in the World." Looking at the data on Wikipedia shows an all-time spread of 27F, from 63 to 90 degrees. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saipan

 

There is little seasonal temperature variation and Saipan has been cited by the Guinness Book of World Recordsas having the least fluctuating temperatures in the world.

[wx_statman]

On the subject of outrageously cold readings late in the season, I like the -30F at Helena, MT on 3/25/1955. A monthly record low set on the 25th! In a period of record going back to 1880, their next coldest March reading is -26F on 3/8/1951. Their next-latest reading even as low as -20F is on 3/15/1906. 

[Scott]

On the subject of outrageously cold readings late in the season, I like the -30F at Helena, MT on 3/25/1955. A monthly record low set on the 25th! In a period of record going back to 1880, their next coldest March reading is -26F on 3/8/1951. Their next-latest reading even as low as -20F is on 3/15/1906. 

 

Any thoughts of the -30F reading on April 27 1970 at White Mountain 2?  I suspect that it isn't legitimate, but if it is, it is the perhaps the most impressive out of season cold snap that I have seen for a weather station:

 

 

http://images.summitpost.org/original/983465.JPG

 

The next impressive would be the one in April at Eagle Nest, if that reading really is correct.  You would have to go back to February 12 to find a colder daily record at that station.  

 

Another impressive out of season cold snap in the one along the Front Range of Colorado in April 1975.  Even Denver dropped below zero and some stations had readings almost as cold as the March records.

 

I've never seen official weather data for the Farallons.

 

 

Christopher Burt has some of the data (including the extremes) in his book, if you have that one (at least it's in the updated revised edition; the only one I have):

 

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Weather-Record-Revised-Updated/dp/039333015X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

[Front Ranger]

Since we're on April, I wonder what the coldest reliable April temperature is for the Lower 48 (besides Peter Sinks of course)?

 

Some sites say Eagle Nest (New Mexico), with a reading of -36F.   This is apparently an unreliable reading as the WRCC has the revised reading at no lower than -21F.

 

Bergland (Michigan) supposedly had a -34F during an April cold snap in 1923.   Breckenridge (Colorado) has a very old April reading of -35F in 1891, but if it is accurate, I assume that it was probably recorded at one of the high mountain mines around Breckenridge, of which many exist.   White Mountain 2 (California), and Fraser (Colorado) both have reliable readings of -30F in April, and of course there is the one for Summit (Montana).

 

There aren't that many -30F or lower readings in the lower 48 for April. 

 

It's interesting, looking on the WRCC site, the data only goes back to 1893, and the April record is listed as -16, so I very much doubt that -35. However, the March record is listed as -66, 26 degrees colder than their January record! 

 

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?co0909

[Front Ranger]

As far as top-tier out of peak season cold waves are concerned, Nov 11-13, 2014 was a doozy. 

 

A sampling...

 

-27 at Casper, their November record by 6 degrees. And it occurred on the 12th.

 

-27 at Douglas, WY, their November record by 4 degrees and coldest temp until 12/9

 

-21 at Riverton, WY, their earliest temp that cold on record

 

-10 at DEN, November record and coldest temp until 12/5. Also November record low max of 5.

 

-11 at Boulder, coldest temp before 11/27 (records back to 1893)

 

High of 7 in Colorado Springs, earliest that cold by far, and tying their November record.

 

High of 11 at Pueblo, record for November and coldest until 12/6

[Scott]

It's interesting, looking on the WRCC site, the data only goes back to 1893, and the April record is listed as -16, so I very much doubt that -35. However, the March record is listed as -66, 26 degrees colder than their January record! 

 

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?co0909

 

If you look at that link though, it says that temperatures were only taken 1.5% of the time.  It's hard to establish any records in places where temperatures are only taken 1.5% of the time.   I wouldn't trust the temperatures from that station (including the -66F).   For that area, the Dillon station is a much better one to look at since it has temperatures taken 97.5% of the time:

 

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?co2281

 

I suspect that if the -35F (official Colorado state record for April) is accurate, it was probably taken at one of the high elevation mines and not in the town itself.  Some of the basins in that area actually have recorded verified April temperatures not much warmer than that reading, such as the -29F at Antero Reservoir on April 4 1970.  Dillon, near Breckenridge recorded a -25F on April 1 1924.  Fraser recorded a -30F on April 4 1970.  Based on verified readings, -35F is plausible in the high mountain basins, but I suspect the Breckenridge reading wasn't taken in town.

[IbrChris]

Thanks for bringing Hornepayne to my attention. I had never heard of that town before. Armstrong at 50N seems to be another cold spot. Hit -50F on 3/2/1943. Also -33F on 4/2/1932, just 2F from the reading in Hornepayne that morning.

 

Regarding April 1923, there are a number of readings from ON to possibly lend credibility to the Bergland reading:

 

-32F at Savanne (49N) on the 1st

-30F at Hornepayne (49N) on the 1st

-30F at Sioux Lookout (50N) on the 2nd

 

Also -35F at Doucet, QC (48N) on the 1st which you already have as the April record for Quebec. Just something to consider.

 

Digging around some more, I've found readings from April 1982 that exceed the provincial records you have listed for both SK and MB. Carswell Lake, SK at -41F on 4/1/1982. This station only existed from 1980-85 and is located in the far north @ 58.5 latitude. And Ruttan Lake, MB at -36F on 4/2/1982. I also found another -35F in MB @ Laurie River Power Site on 4/11/1961.

 

I've found colder readings for BC and AB as well. Dawson Creek, BC at -37F on 4/2/1954 and Beatton River, BC at -33F on 4/1/1954. In Alberta, the morning of 4/2/1954 brought -41F to Springdale, -40F to Keg River, and -39F to Embarras. 

 

I've located a colder reading for Ontario as well. A station called "Central Patricia" hit -37F on 4/6/1972. This reading is corroborated by -33F at Geraldton as well as several other readings in the -25F to -30F range. 

Thanks for the new info...I admit my examination of provincial records wasn't comprehensive due to the massive amount of time necessary to gather and vet each station's data. Any trick you use to find the absolute values quickly?

[IbrChris]

I'll post what I have on the provincial monthly max/mins and if WxStatman would like he can examine them:

Alberta

Jan: 70 Pekisko 25/1906; -78 Ft Vermilion 11/1911
Feb: 77 Pekisko 2/1906; -71 Ft Vermilion 1/1917
Mar: 84 Medicine Hat 23/1911; -53 Ft Vermilion 4/1955
Apr: 96 Medicine Hat 26/1910; -41 Springdale 2/1954 (thx WxStatman)

May: 99 Medicine Hat 5/1911; -18 Lake Louise 1/1954
Jun: 107 Medicine Hat 21/1900; 14 Lake Louise 1/1919
Jul: 110  Ft Macleod 18/1941; 19 Lake Louise 8/1981
Aug: 107 Empress 5/1961; 18 Lake Louise 28/1995
Sep: 101 Empress 5/1967; -13 Lake Louise 24/1926
Oct: 93 Medicine Hat 6/1889; -33 High Level 31/1984
Nov: 80 Pekisko 15/1905; -52 Sion 30/1919
Dec: 77 Ft Macleod 8/1903; -72 Ft Vermilion 31/1933

British Columbia

Jan: 69 Port Alice & Dawsons Ldg 12/1986; -74 Smith River 31/1947
Feb: 69 Abbotsford 27/1968; -62 Smith River 2/1968
Mar: 75 Barriere 30/1994; -58 Arras 2/1976
Apr: 97 Lillooet 21/1934; -37 Dawson Creek 2/1954
May: 107 Lillooet 30/1936; 2 Sierra 2/1974
Jun: 108 Hedley 27/2015; 21 Whistler Roundhouse 1/1984
Jul: 112 Lillooet; Lytton & Barriere 17/1941; 24 Whistler Roundhouse 13/1984
Aug: 107 Lytton 9/1981; 16 Yoho NP Wapta Lake 12/1975
Sep: 102 Lytton 3/1988; -2 Smith River 26/1951
Oct: 88 Kamloops 6/1980; -35 Yoyo 30/1984
Nov: 74 Lillooet 3/1927; -54 Smith River 24/1955
Dec: 72 Lillooet 3/1933; -63 Puntzi Mountain 29/1968

Manitoba:

Jan: 50 Indian Bay 22/1942; -63 Norway House 9/1899
Feb: 60 Emerson 25/1958; -61 Brochet 18/1966
Mar: 76 Dauphin 24/1993; -56 Bird 10/1963
Apr: 99 Emerson 27/1952; -36 Ruttan Lake 2/1982
May: 106 Emerson & Deloraine 30/1934; -13 Churchill 4/1983
Jun: 108 Brandon & Minnedosa 17/1931; 14 Gillam 2/1977
Jul: 112 Emerson & St Albans 11/1936; 24 Birtle 6/1934
Aug: 106 Starbuck 6/1988; 16 Russell 31/1886
Sep: 103 Starbuck 2/1983; 6 Russell 28/1945
Oct: 92 Altona 1/1992; -25 Brochet 27/1972
Nov: 77 Altona 5/1975; -44 Brochet 27/1966
Dec: 61 Deloraine 3/1925; -60 York Factory 31/1900

Ontario

Jan: 64 Windsor 25/1950; -73 Iroquois Falls 23/1935
Feb: 69 Windsor 26/2000; -62 Hornepayne 1/1957
Mar: 80 Windsor 30/1986; -50 Crystal Falls 3/1950
Apr: 90 Toronto 22/1842; -37 Central Patricia 6/1972
May: 97 Owen Sound 19/1911; -11 White River 1/1903
Jun: 104 Pickle Lake 19/1933; 10 Hornepayne 2/1919
Jul: 108 Ft Frances 13/1936; 15 Hornepayne 8/1922
Aug: 104 Harrow 6/1918; 19 Hornepayne 29/1922
Sep: 100 Toronto 2/1953; 0 Ft Frances 21/1949
Oct: 90 Windsor 6/1963; -17 Hornepayne 28/1933
Nov: 79 Windsor 1/1950; -47 Emo Radbourne 29/1985
Dec: 68 Toronto 3/1982; -62 Hornepayne 27/1933

Quebec

Jan: 63 Ormstown 15/1995; -60 Ft McKenzie 19/1946
Feb: 64 Ormstown 22/1981; -66 Doucet 5/1923
Mar: 78 Oka 28/1945; -53 Poste Montagnais 13/1984
Apr: 87 Ste Martine 27/1990; -35 Doucet 1/1923
May: 96 Ville Marie 29/1929; -20 Ft McKenzie 1/1947
Jun: 100 Ville Marie 11/1956; 14 Poste Montagnais 5/1992
Jul: 104 Ville Marie 6/1921; 20 Inukjuak 8/1937
Aug: 98 Ste Martine 2/1975; 23 Fermont 31/1996
Sep: 93 Ormstown 5/1973; 5 Fermont 30/1992
Oct: 85 Ste Martine 2/1968; -9 Poste Montagnais 22/1974
Nov: 75 Oka 8/1938; -35 Poste Montagnais 20/1986
Dec: 68 Ormstown 5/2001; -56 Poste Montagnais 13/1980

Saskatchewan

Jan: 64 Maple Creek North 22/1981; -67 Butte St Pierre 25/1972
Feb: 67 Maple Creek North 27/1992; -70 Prince Albert 1/1893
Mar: 77 Midale 27/1946; -59 Key Lake 4/1995
Apr: 94 Beechy 29/1939; -41 Carswell Lake 1/1982

May: 105 Cypress Hills 29/1988; -16 Uranium City 4/2002
Jun: 110 Kincaid 5/1988; 18 Waseca 2/1919

Jul: 113 Midale & Yellow Grass 5/1937; 25 Waseca 24/1918
Aug: 110 Maple Creek North 5/1961; 23 Midale 24/1934
Sep: 104 Lost River 4/1940; -4 Cameo 30/1961
Oct: 93 Abbey 1/1957; -22 Val-Marie 29/1991
Nov: 78 Beechy 7/1999; -49 Prince Albert 23/1884
Dec: 69 Aneroid 5/1939; -59 Pilger 28/1917

I'll add the Arctic and the Maritimes tomorrow. Any corrections welcome
 

[Scott]

Ontario

 

Jan: 64 Windsor 25/1950; -73 Iroquois Falls 23/1935

Feb: 69 Windsor 26/2000; -62 Hornepayne 1/1957

Mar: 80 Windsor 30/1986; -50 Crystal Falls 3/1950

Apr: 90 Toronto 22/1842; -37 Central Patricia 6/1972

May: 97 Owen Sound 19/1911; -11 White River 1/1903

Jun: 104 Pickle Lake 19/1933; 10 Hornepayne 2/1919

Jul: 108 Ft Frances 13/1936; 15 Hornepayne 8/1922

Aug: 104 Harrow 6/1918; 19 Hornepayne 29/1922

Sep: 100 Toronto 2/1953; 0 Ft Frances 21/1949

Oct: 90 Windsor 6/1963; -17 Hornepayne 28/1933

Nov: 79 Windsor 1/1950; -47 Emo Radbourne 29/1985

Dec: 68 Toronto 3/1982; -62 Hornepayne 27/1933

 

 

Iroquois Falls supposedly recorded a -68F twice in February; once in 1899 and once in 1934 (both were well known extreme cold snaps that also affected the USA).   The 1899 reading was before the town was incorporated.   The 1934 reading was taken at a different weather station than the present one at Iroquois Falls.  

 

I also have an old weather almanac (Times Books World Weather Guide) that says the record high for Ottawa in September is 102F.  Unfortunately, it doesn't give a year.   I don't know if the reading is accurate (it may not be), but it might be worth seeing if WxStatman can find it.

 

Manitoba:

 

Jan: 50 Indian Bay 22/1942; -63 Norway House 9/1899

Feb: 60 Emerson 25/1958; -61 Brochet 18/1966

Mar: 76 Dauphin 24/1993; -56 Bird 10/1963

Apr: 99 Emerson 27/1952; -36 Ruttan Lake 2/1982

May: 106 Emerson & Deloraine 30/1934; -13 Churchill 4/1983

Jun: 108 Brandon & Minnedosa 17/1931; 14 Gillam 2/1977

Jul: 112 Emerson & St Albans 11/1936; 24 Birtle 6/1934

Aug: 106 Starbuck 6/1988; 16 Russell 31/1886

Sep: 103 Starbuck 2/1983; 6 Russell 28/1945

Oct: 92 Altona 1/1992; -25 Brochet 27/1972

Nov: 77 Altona 5/1975; -44 Brochet 27/1966

Dec: 61 Deloraine 3/1925; -60 York Factory 31/1900

 

 

The same old almanac mentioned above gives the following monthly extremes at Churchill:

 

May:  -14F

June: 13F

July:  22F

November:  -53F

 

Also, I checked and the latest edition (2011, 12th edition) of The Weather Almanac also has these same readings.

 

Maybe WxStatman can find the dates for the readings. 

 

 

British Columbia

 

Jan: 69 Port Alice & Dawsons Ldg 12/1986; -74 Smith River 31/1947

Feb: 69 Abbotsford 27/1968; -62 Smith River 2/1968

Mar: 75 Barriere 30/1994; -58 Arras 2/1976

Apr: 97 Lillooet 21/1934; -37 Dawson Creek 2/1954

May: 107 Lillooet 30/1936; 2 Sierra 2/1974

Jun: 108 Hedley 27/2015; 21 Whistler Roundhouse 1/1984

Jul: 112 Lillooet; Lytton & Barriere 17/1941; 24 Whistler Roundhouse 13/1984

Aug: 107 Lytton 9/1981; 16 Yoho NP Wapta Lake 12/1975

Sep: 102 Lytton 3/1988; -2 Smith River 26/1951

Oct: 88 Kamloops 6/1980; -35 Yoyo 30/1984

Nov: 74 Lillooet 3/1927; -54 Smith River 24/1955

Dec: 72 Lillooet 3/1933; -63 Puntzi Mountain 29/1968

 

 

These aren't official records, but since you are interested in Peter Sinks, you might be interested in them.  According to Chris Burt, two weather stations near Fort Nelson recorded a -96F and a -92F on January 7 1982 in a frost hollow.   The stations were there as part of a permafrost study.

 

PS, we should do the US states as well.  I know there are a lot of questions and errors on those ones. 

[IbrChris]

I took a look at data from Brazil to build a similar table of monthly max/min and precip records but for the country as a whole. I won't list the entire table but the superlatives were impressive (still a work in progress):

Absolute max: 113 at Bom Jesus, Piaui on 11/21/2005 (official)
Absolute min: 7 at Cacador, Santa Catarina on 6/11/1952 (official)

24h max precip: 24.50" at Itapanhau, Sao Paulo on 6/20-21/1947 (not official)
monthly max precip: 54.15" at Salinopolis, Para in Apr 1989 (not official)...Jan-Apr 1989 were wettest such period on record across eastern Amazon Basin

annual max precip: 205.75" at Calcoene, Amapa in 1989 (officially wettest municipality in the country, value unofficial)

driest year: 1.09" at Boa Vista, Ceara in 1958 (unofficial)

 

Still analyzing data from Utah Climate Center

[IbrChris]

I don't know where the -53 F reading at Churchill in Nov comes from, but data is only available back to 1943 and the Nov record low is -36.1c on 11/30/1961.

[IbrChris]

 

 

These aren't official records, but since you are interested in Peter Sinks, you might be interested in them.  According to Chris Burt, two weather stations near Fort Nelson recorded a -96F and a -92F on January 7 1982 in a frost hollow.   The stations were there as part of a permafrost study.

 

Yes I heard about that...intriguing and you would think the siting was good as it was part of a study...though no way to know if it was purposely a near-ground temp (given it was a permafrost study). If an actual 2m temp it would beat out anything in Siberia.

 

Here's the study BTW: http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic35-4-537.pdf

[wx_statman]

Any thoughts of the -30F reading on April 27 1970 at White Mountain 2?  I suspect that it isn't legitimate, but if it is, it is the perhaps the most impressive out of season cold snap that I have seen for a weather station:

 

 

http://images.summitpost.org/original/983465.JPG

 

The next impressive would be the one in April at Eagle Nest, if that reading really is correct.  You would have to go back to February 12 to find a colder daily record at that station.  

 

Another impressive out of season cold snap in the one along the Front Range of Colorado in April 1975.  Even Denver dropped below zero and some stations had readings almost as cold as the March records.

 

 

Christopher Burt has some of the data (including the extremes) in his book, if you have that one (at least it's in the updated revised edition; the only one I have):

 

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Weather-Record-Revised-Updated/dp/039333015X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

 

The "White Mountain 2" reading of -30F on 4/27/1970 doesn't look legitimate to me. That sensor is/was located at the Barcroft Station of the White Mountain Research Center at 12,470 feet. 

 

http://www.wmrc.edu/facilities/bar/default.html

 

The reading does show up on the original COOP form for April 1970:

 

http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-B7B27926-0A85-4D73-8FE3-FF24EED09AAF.pdf

 

However, "White Mountain 1" was only 7F that day, and their temperatures appear to be much more in line with what you would expect out of that particular airmass:

 

http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-6FDBA7BA-B336-44F6-90E9-50C778B1B73F.pdf

 

This sensor is/was located at Crooked Creek Station at 10,200 feet, so only about 2,000 feet lower than Barcroft Station.

 

600mb (approximately 13,800 feet) temps were about -21C (-6F) on 4/27/1970. It was indeed a very impressive late season cold trough but I just don't see how it would have produced -30F at 12,000 feet in CA. Having said that, I'm not familiar with that area and its microclimate tendencies...so I can't make a definitive conclusion.

[wx_statman]

As far as top-tier out of peak season cold waves are concerned, Nov 11-13, 2014 was a doozy. 

 

A sampling...

 

-27 at Casper, their November record by 6 degrees. And it occurred on the 12th.

 

-27 at Douglas, WY, their November record by 4 degrees and coldest temp until 12/9

 

-21 at Riverton, WY, their earliest temp that cold on record

 

-10 at DEN, November record and coldest temp until 12/5. Also November record low max of 5.

 

-11 at Boulder, coldest temp before 11/27 (records back to 1893)

 

High of 7 in Colorado Springs, earliest that cold by far, and tying their November record.

 

High of 11 at Pueblo, record for November and coldest until 12/6

 

While the November 2014 cold wave was indeed a historically impressive event, your post unfortunately needs a number of corrections. 

 

The November record at Douglas is actually -31F on 11/12/1911. Another tremendous early season cold wave in the vein of 1916, 1940, 1955, 1959, and 2014 that set November record lows before 11/16 in the MT/WY/ND/SD region. You have to be real careful when browsing records @ the WRCC these days. Lots of missing data due to the NCEI quality control issues. 

 

DEN actually hit -14F on 11/13/2014. Also their lowest max was 6F (on 11/12/2014). Both are still November records @ DEN like you said, although neither is a monthly record if we're to consider city data that goes back to the 1870's. Where are you pulling your stats from?

 

No monthly record low maximums were tied at Colorado Springs. The November record low max is 0F on 11/27/1919. 

 

Likewise no monthly record low maximums were set in Pueblo. The November record low max is 6F on 11/27/1919. Also a high of 9F on 11/27/1896.

 

That said, 11/13/2014 did set monthly record low maximums at both COS and PUB, with periods of record back to 1948 and 1954, respectively. 

[wx_statman]

That Casper reading (-27F on 11/12/2014) was probably the most impressive record from the November 2014 cold wave, along with the -19F in Redmond, OR. Both legitimate monthly records even if one were to consider other stations in those towns, stretching the POR back more than 100 years. 

[Scott]

DEN actually hit -14F on 11/13/2014. Also their lowest max was 6F (on 11/12/2014). Both are still November records @ DEN like you said, although neither is a monthly record if we're to consider city data that goes back to the 1870's. Where are you pulling your stats from?

 

 

-14F was for the DIA station, but the Stapleton Station was -10F.  I assume he was referring to that one.  DIA has only existed since 1995 and that location is more prone to extremes that the old station.  Never the less, it is now the official reporting station for Denver.

[wx_statman]

Thanks for the new info...I admit my examination of provincial records wasn't comprehensive due to the massive amount of time necessary to gather and vet each station's data. Any trick you use to find the absolute values quickly?

 

No problem! I don't have any advanced methods to sift through the data. I identify the most likely stations to see the lowest readings in a province and then I check their monthly records (in this case for April) using the "Canadian Climate Normals" feature @ Environment Canada. For provinces like SK and MB that means checking every station above about 53-54N. There aren't that many. I make a note of the years that keep popping up (i.e. 1936, 1954, 1982 etc) and then run a search for each individual month using the "Monthly Climate Summaries" feature on Environment Canada's website. 

 

http://climate.weather.gc.ca/prods_servs/cdn_climate_summary_e.html

 

Enter the month, year, and province and you'll get an Excel spreadsheet of every station in that province for that month. This includes highest and lowest temps recorded that month. You can scan the data and quickly identify the lowest minimums. As a final step I cross checked each station using the Historical Data feature @ Environment Canada to see on what dates the readings occurred. The CSV data dump for the Monthly Climate Summaries doesn't give you the dates of when the highest and lowest minimums occurred that month.

 

It took me about an hour and a half to find and cross check the BC, AB, SK, MB, and ON readings that I posted. I probably checked 10 different April's across the five provinces, ones that I knew saw record breaking cold waves from seeing records pop up at individual stations. And since my search is not exhaustive, there's obviously a chance of even lower readings on the books in any one of those provinces. 

[wx_statman]

I'll post what I have on the provincial monthly max/mins and if WxStatman would like he can examine them:

 

Alberta

Jan: 70 Pekisko 25/1906; -78 Ft Vermilion 11/1911

Feb: 77 Pekisko 2/1906; -71 Ft Vermilion 1/1917

Mar: 84 Medicine Hat 23/1911; -53 Ft Vermilion 4/1955

Apr: 96 Medicine Hat 26/1910; -41 Springdale 2/1954 (thx WxStatman)

May: 99 Medicine Hat 5/1911; -18 Lake Louise 1/1954

Jun: 107 Medicine Hat 21/1900; 14 Lake Louise 1/1919

Jul: 110  Ft Macleod 18/1941; 19 Lake Louise 8/1981

Aug: 107 Empress 5/1961; 18 Lake Louise 28/1995

Sep: 101 Empress 5/1967; -13 Lake Louise 24/1926

Oct: 93 Medicine Hat 6/1889; -33 High Level 31/1984

Nov: 80 Pekisko 15/1905; -52 Sion 30/1919

Dec: 77 Ft Macleod 8/1903; -72 Ft Vermilion 31/1933

 

British Columbia

 

Jan: 69 Port Alice & Dawsons Ldg 12/1986; -74 Smith River 31/1947

Feb: 69 Abbotsford 27/1968; -62 Smith River 2/1968

Mar: 75 Barriere 30/1994; -58 Arras 2/1976

Apr: 97 Lillooet 21/1934; -37 Dawson Creek 2/1954

May: 107 Lillooet 30/1936; 2 Sierra 2/1974

Jun: 108 Hedley 27/2015; 21 Whistler Roundhouse 1/1984

Jul: 112 Lillooet; Lytton & Barriere 17/1941; 24 Whistler Roundhouse 13/1984

Aug: 107 Lytton 9/1981; 16 Yoho NP Wapta Lake 12/1975

Sep: 102 Lytton 3/1988; -2 Smith River 26/1951

Oct: 88 Kamloops 6/1980; -35 Yoyo 30/1984

Nov: 74 Lillooet 3/1927; -54 Smith River 24/1955

Dec: 72 Lillooet 3/1933; -63 Puntzi Mountain 29/1968

 

Manitoba:

 

Jan: 50 Indian Bay 22/1942; -63 Norway House 9/1899

Feb: 60 Emerson 25/1958; -61 Brochet 18/1966

Mar: 76 Dauphin 24/1993; -56 Bird 10/1963

Apr: 99 Emerson 27/1952; -36 Ruttan Lake 2/1982

May: 106 Emerson & Deloraine 30/1934; -13 Churchill 4/1983

Jun: 108 Brandon & Minnedosa 17/1931; 14 Gillam 2/1977

Jul: 112 Emerson & St Albans 11/1936; 24 Birtle 6/1934

Aug: 106 Starbuck 6/1988; 16 Russell 31/1886

Sep: 103 Starbuck 2/1983; 6 Russell 28/1945

Oct: 92 Altona 1/1992; -25 Brochet 27/1972

Nov: 77 Altona 5/1975; -44 Brochet 27/1966

Dec: 61 Deloraine 3/1925; -60 York Factory 31/1900

 

Ontario

 

Jan: 64 Windsor 25/1950; -73 Iroquois Falls 23/1935

Feb: 69 Windsor 26/2000; -62 Hornepayne 1/1957

Mar: 80 Windsor 30/1986; -50 Crystal Falls 3/1950

Apr: 90 Toronto 22/1842; -37 Central Patricia 6/1972

May: 97 Owen Sound 19/1911; -11 White River 1/1903

Jun: 104 Pickle Lake 19/1933; 10 Hornepayne 2/1919

Jul: 108 Ft Frances 13/1936; 15 Hornepayne 8/1922

Aug: 104 Harrow 6/1918; 19 Hornepayne 29/1922

Sep: 100 Toronto 2/1953; 0 Ft Frances 21/1949

Oct: 90 Windsor 6/1963; -17 Hornepayne 28/1933

Nov: 79 Windsor 1/1950; -47 Emo Radbourne 29/1985

Dec: 68 Toronto 3/1982; -62 Hornepayne 27/1933

 

Quebec

 

Jan: 63 Ormstown 15/1995; -60 Ft McKenzie 19/1946

Feb: 64 Ormstown 22/1981; -66 Doucet 5/1923

Mar: 78 Oka 28/1945; -53 Poste Montagnais 13/1984

Apr: 87 Ste Martine 27/1990; -35 Doucet 1/1923

May: 96 Ville Marie 29/1929; -20 Ft McKenzie 1/1947

Jun: 100 Ville Marie 11/1956; 14 Poste Montagnais 5/1992

Jul: 104 Ville Marie 6/1921; 20 Inukjuak 8/1937

Aug: 98 Ste Martine 2/1975; 23 Fermont 31/1996

Sep: 93 Ormstown 5/1973; 5 Fermont 30/1992

Oct: 85 Ste Martine 2/1968; -9 Poste Montagnais 22/1974

Nov: 75 Oka 8/1938; -35 Poste Montagnais 20/1986

Dec: 68 Ormstown 5/2001; -56 Poste Montagnais 13/1980

 

Saskatchewan

 

Jan: 64 Maple Creek North 22/1981; -67 Butte St Pierre 25/1972

Feb: 67 Maple Creek North 27/1992; -70 Prince Albert 1/1893

Mar: 77 Midale 27/1946; -59 Key Lake 4/1995

Apr: 94 Beechy 29/1939; -41 Carswell Lake 1/1982

May: 105 Cypress Hills 29/1988; -16 Uranium City 4/2002

Jun: 110 Kincaid 5/1988; 18 Waseca 2/1919

Jul: 113 Midale & Yellow Grass 5/1937; 25 Waseca 24/1918

Aug: 110 Maple Creek North 5/1961; 23 Midale 24/1934

Sep: 104 Lost River 4/1940; -4 Cameo 30/1961

Oct: 93 Abbey 1/1957; -22 Val-Marie 29/1991

Nov: 78 Beechy 7/1999; -49 Prince Albert 23/1884

Dec: 69 Aneroid 5/1939; -59 Pilger 28/1917

 

I'll add the Arctic and the Maritimes tomorrow. Any corrections welcome

 

 

Great stuff. Thanks for doing all that work. I'll probably dig around over the next few days and see if I can add anything.

[IbrChris]

No problem! I don't have any advanced methods to sift through the data. I identify the most likely stations to see the lowest readings in a province and then I check their monthly records (in this case for April) using the "Canadian Climate Normals" feature @ Environment Canada. For provinces like SK and MB that means checking every station above about 53-54N. There aren't that many. I make a note of the years that keep popping up (i.e. 1936, 1954, 1982 etc) and then run a search for each individual month using the "Monthly Climate Summaries" feature on Environment Canada's website. 

 

http://climate.weather.gc.ca/prods_servs/cdn_climate_summary_e.html

 

Enter the month, year, and province and you'll get an Excel spreadsheet of every station in that province for that month. This includes highest and lowest temps recorded that month. You can scan the data and quickly identify the lowest minimums. As a final step I cross checked each station using the Historical Data feature @ Environment Canada to see on what dates the readings occurred. The CSV data dump for the Monthly Climate Summaries doesn't give you the dates of when the highest and lowest minimums occurred that month.

 

It took me about an hour and a half to find and cross check the BC, AB, SK, MB, and ON readings that I posted. I probably checked 10 different April's across the five provinces, ones that I knew saw record breaking cold waves from seeing records pop up at individual stations. And since my search is not exhaustive, there's obviously a chance of even lower readings on the books in any one of those provinces. 

Yeah that's more or less the same method I use...I also utilize the data over at the Utah Climate Center, which is phenomenal but can be difficult to research as only current stations have a useful summary of the values...old stations no longer in operation require searching the monthly data.

 

For Brazil it took me about 5-6 hours at various times to compile the data...I'd like to extend this to other countries with decent data eventually.

[wx_statman]

-14F was for the DIA station, but the Stapleton Station was -10F.  I assume he was referring to that one.  DIA has only existed since 1995 and that location is more prone to extremes that the old station.  Never the less, it is now the official reporting station for Denver.

 

I see. I have heard of the DIA vs. Stapleton thing before. But the official record was -14F for Denver so I don't see any reason not to roll with that one. 

[wx_statman]

I'll post what I have on the provincial monthly max/mins and if WxStatman would like he can examine them:

 

Alberta

Jan: 70 Pekisko 25/1906; -78 Ft Vermilion 11/1911

Feb: 77 Pekisko 2/1906; -71 Ft Vermilion 1/1917

Mar: 84 Medicine Hat 23/1911; -53 Ft Vermilion 4/1955

Apr: 96 Medicine Hat 26/1910; -41 Springdale 2/1954 (thx WxStatman)

May: 99 Medicine Hat 5/1911; -18 Lake Louise 1/1954

Jun: 107 Medicine Hat 21/1900; 14 Lake Louise 1/1919

Jul: 110  Ft Macleod 18/1941; 19 Lake Louise 8/1981

Aug: 107 Empress 5/1961; 18 Lake Louise 28/1995

Sep: 101 Empress 5/1967; -13 Lake Louise 24/1926

Oct: 93 Medicine Hat 6/1889; -33 High Level 31/1984

Nov: 80 Pekisko 15/1905; -52 Sion 30/1919

Dec: 77 Ft Macleod 8/1903; -72 Ft Vermilion 31/1933

 

British Columbia

 

Jan: 69 Port Alice & Dawsons Ldg 12/1986; -74 Smith River 31/1947

Feb: 69 Abbotsford 27/1968; -62 Smith River 2/1968

Mar: 75 Barriere 30/1994; -58 Arras 2/1976

Apr: 97 Lillooet 21/1934; -37 Dawson Creek 2/1954

May: 107 Lillooet 30/1936; 2 Sierra 2/1974

Jun: 108 Hedley 27/2015; 21 Whistler Roundhouse 1/1984

Jul: 112 Lillooet; Lytton & Barriere 17/1941; 24 Whistler Roundhouse 13/1984

Aug: 107 Lytton 9/1981; 16 Yoho NP Wapta Lake 12/1975

Sep: 102 Lytton 3/1988; -2 Smith River 26/1951

Oct: 88 Kamloops 6/1980; -35 Yoyo 30/1984

Nov: 74 Lillooet 3/1927; -54 Smith River 24/1955

Dec: 72 Lillooet 3/1933; -63 Puntzi Mountain 29/1968

 

Manitoba:

 

Jan: 50 Indian Bay 22/1942; -63 Norway House 9/1899

Feb: 60 Emerson 25/1958; -61 Brochet 18/1966

Mar: 76 Dauphin 24/1993; -56 Bird 10/1963

Apr: 99 Emerson 27/1952; -36 Ruttan Lake 2/1982

May: 106 Emerson & Deloraine 30/1934; -13 Churchill 4/1983

Jun: 108 Brandon & Minnedosa 17/1931; 14 Gillam 2/1977

Jul: 112 Emerson & St Albans 11/1936; 24 Birtle 6/1934

Aug: 106 Starbuck 6/1988; 16 Russell 31/1886

Sep: 103 Starbuck 2/1983; 6 Russell 28/1945

Oct: 92 Altona 1/1992; -25 Brochet 27/1972

Nov: 77 Altona 5/1975; -44 Brochet 27/1966

Dec: 61 Deloraine 3/1925; -60 York Factory 31/1900

 

Ontario

 

Jan: 64 Windsor 25/1950; -73 Iroquois Falls 23/1935

Feb: 69 Windsor 26/2000; -62 Hornepayne 1/1957

Mar: 80 Windsor 30/1986; -50 Crystal Falls 3/1950

Apr: 90 Toronto 22/1842; -37 Central Patricia 6/1972

May: 97 Owen Sound 19/1911; -11 White River 1/1903

Jun: 104 Pickle Lake 19/1933; 10 Hornepayne 2/1919

Jul: 108 Ft Frances 13/1936; 15 Hornepayne 8/1922

Aug: 104 Harrow 6/1918; 19 Hornepayne 29/1922

Sep: 100 Toronto 2/1953; 0 Ft Frances 21/1949

Oct: 90 Windsor 6/1963; -17 Hornepayne 28/1933

Nov: 79 Windsor 1/1950; -47 Emo Radbourne 29/1985

Dec: 68 Toronto 3/1982; -62 Hornepayne 27/1933

 

Quebec

 

Jan: 63 Ormstown 15/1995; -60 Ft McKenzie 19/1946

Feb: 64 Ormstown 22/1981; -66 Doucet 5/1923

Mar: 78 Oka 28/1945; -53 Poste Montagnais 13/1984

Apr: 87 Ste Martine 27/1990; -35 Doucet 1/1923

May: 96 Ville Marie 29/1929; -20 Ft McKenzie 1/1947

Jun: 100 Ville Marie 11/1956; 14 Poste Montagnais 5/1992

Jul: 104 Ville Marie 6/1921; 20 Inukjuak 8/1937

Aug: 98 Ste Martine 2/1975; 23 Fermont 31/1996

Sep: 93 Ormstown 5/1973; 5 Fermont 30/1992

Oct: 85 Ste Martine 2/1968; -9 Poste Montagnais 22/1974

Nov: 75 Oka 8/1938; -35 Poste Montagnais 20/1986

Dec: 68 Ormstown 5/2001; -56 Poste Montagnais 13/1980

 

Saskatchewan

 

Jan: 64 Maple Creek North 22/1981; -67 Butte St Pierre 25/1972

Feb: 67 Maple Creek North 27/1992; -70 Prince Albert 1/1893

Mar: 77 Midale 27/1946; -59 Key Lake 4/1995

Apr: 94 Beechy 29/1939; -41 Carswell Lake 1/1982

May: 105 Cypress Hills 29/1988; -16 Uranium City 4/2002

Jun: 110 Kincaid 5/1988; 18 Waseca 2/1919

Jul: 113 Midale & Yellow Grass 5/1937; 25 Waseca 24/1918

Aug: 110 Maple Creek North 5/1961; 23 Midale 24/1934

Sep: 104 Lost River 4/1940; -4 Cameo 30/1961

Oct: 93 Abbey 1/1957; -22 Val-Marie 29/1991

Nov: 78 Beechy 7/1999; -49 Prince Albert 23/1884

Dec: 69 Aneroid 5/1939; -59 Pilger 28/1917

 

I'll add the Arctic and the Maritimes tomorrow. Any corrections welcome

 

 

Digging around a bit -

 

There seems to be some discrepancy with the January 1911 reading at Fort Vermilion. I've long been familiar with the -78F reading as the provincial record low for Alberta. And that's what shows up in their monthly records table:

 

http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1961_1990_e.html?searchType=stnProv&lstProvince=AB&txtCentralLatMin=0&txtCentralLatSec=0&txtCentralLongMin=0&txtCentralLongSec=0&stnID=394&dispBack=0

 

-61.2C (-78F) on 1/11/1911. 

 

But the actual data for that month shows a reading of -60.6C (-77F) on the 11th:

 

http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/daily_data_e.html?hlyRange=%7C&dlyRange=1888-11-01%7C1917-11-30&mlyRange=1888-01-01%7C1917-12-01&StationID=2705&Prov=AB&urlExtension=_e.html&searchType=stnName&optLimit=yearRange&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2016&selRowPerPage=25&Line=2&searchMethod=contains&Month=1&Day=24&txtStationName=fort+vermilion&timeframe=2&Year=1911

 

Also shows -60.3C (-77F) at a different station in town, Fort Vermilion CDA:

 

http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/daily_data_e.html?hlyRange=%7C&dlyRange=1908-07-01%7C1985-09-30&mlyRange=1908-01-01%7C1985-12-01&StationID=2706&Prov=AB&urlExtension=_e.html&searchType=stnName&optLimit=yearRange&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2016&selRowPerPage=25&Line=3&searchMethod=contains&Month=1&Day=24&txtStationName=fort+vermilion&timeframe=2&Year=1911

 

I'm not sure what to make of this one. Like I said, I've seen the -78F reading published in various sources over the years as the record for Alberta. I've never seen anyone refer to a reading of -77F but that's what the raw data shows us. 

 

Still on Alberta, its interesting to note that February 1936 challenged the Fort Vermilion reading from 1917 but at locations much further south and two weeks later into the season. I see readings of -69F at Viking (53N) on the 16th and -68F at Rocky Mountain House (52N) on the 12th. 

 

I've found an 80F reading (26.5C) at "Fort Macleod North" in Alberta on 2/27/1992. This is the same ridge that produced the highest credible February temp in Oregon, 85F at Myrtle Point on 2/25 and Coquille on 2/26. Also produced February records @ Calgary Int'l (22.6C/73F) and Havre, MT (74F), both on the 27th.

 

Grovedale RS, Alberta hit -55F on 3/8/2003. Edmonton Int'l hit -44F that morning which set a record low for March, only to be broken on 3/10/2009 with a reading of -45F. The lowest reading I could find from March 2009 in AB is "only" -48F, so ironically Edmonton Int'l saw one of the coldest readings in the province during that cold wave. 

[Front Ranger]

While the November 2014 cold wave was indeed a historically impressive event, your post unfortunately needs a number of corrections. 

 

The November record at Douglas is actually -31F on 11/12/1911. Another tremendous early season cold wave in the vein of 1916, 1940, 1955, 1959, and 2014 that set November record lows before 11/16 in the MT/WY/ND/SD region. You have to be real careful when browsing records @ the WRCC these days. Lots of missing data due to the NCEI quality control issues. 

 

DEN actually hit -14F on 11/13/2014. Also their lowest max was 6F (on 11/12/2014). Both are still November records @ DEN like you said, although neither is a monthly record if we're to consider city data that goes back to the 1870's. Where are you pulling your stats from?

 

No monthly record low maximums were tied at Colorado Springs. The November record low max is 0F on 11/27/1919. 

 

Likewise no monthly record low maximums were set in Pueblo. The November record low max is 6F on 11/27/1919. Also a high of 9F on 11/27/1896.

 

That said, 11/13/2014 did set monthly record low maximums at both COS and PUB, with periods of record back to 1948 and 1954, respectively. 

 

All records were pulled from WRCC.

 

And all Colorado ones were for the airports, and were indeed monthly records for those stations, as you recognize at the end.

 

Given when it occurred, I am confident the Nov 2014 cold wave is the most impressive November cold wave in this region's recorded history.

[Front Ranger]

That Casper reading (-27F on 11/12/2014) was probably the most impressive record from the November 2014 cold wave, along with the -19F in Redmond, OR. Both legitimate monthly records even if one were to consider other stations in those towns, stretching the POR back more than 100 years. 

 

Same with Boulder and Denver.

[Front Ranger]

I see. I have heard of the DIA vs. Stapleton thing before. But the official record was -14F for Denver so I don't see any reason not to roll with that one. 

 

Either way it was a monthly record.

[wx_statman]

All records were pulled from WRCC.

 

And all Colorado ones were for the airports, and were indeed monthly records for those stations, as you recognize at the end.

 

Given when it occurred, I am confident the Nov 2014 cold wave is the most impressive November cold wave in this region's recorded history.

 

The WRCC is a bit screwy these days. A number of the more extreme records (both hot and cold) no longer appear in the "daily summary stats." This is due to the quality control issues @ NCEI. Douglas, WY is a good example, and I'm specifically talking about the Douglas 1SE COOP station. If you look in the monthly extremes table you'll see the -31F from 11/12/1911. But that reading no longer shows up as a daily record under daily summary stats, making it look like -27F on 11/13/2014 is the monthly record.

[wx_statman]

Same with Boulder and Denver.

 

Boulder's monthly record low was set in 1919. Denver's in 1877. What I was trying to say is that for both Casper and Redmond, November 2014 set monthly record lows for all stations in those towns, to the beginning of the POR. Those two readings really stick out in my mind. Very impressive numbers.

[Front Ranger]

Boulder's monthly record low was set in 1919. Denver's in 1877. What I was trying to say is that for both Casper and Redmond, November 2014 set monthly record lows for all stations in those towns, to the beginning of the POR. Those two readings really stick out in my mind. Very impressive numbers.

 

Ah, yeah I see that now. Still, both came 2 weeks later.

 

There were other places in the area that have long climate histories and almost certainly set monthly records.

 

- Byers, CO with a low of -22

- Walsenburg, CO with a high of 7

- the -21 at Limon, CO airport was the coldest November temp recorded at any Limon station, with records back to 1907

- Bailey, CO with a high of 1

[wx_statman]

I'll post what I have on the provincial monthly max/mins and if WxStatman would like he can examine them:

 

Alberta

Jan: 70 Pekisko 25/1906; -78 Ft Vermilion 11/1911

Feb: 77 Pekisko 2/1906; -71 Ft Vermilion 1/1917

Mar: 84 Medicine Hat 23/1911; -53 Ft Vermilion 4/1955

Apr: 96 Medicine Hat 26/1910; -41 Springdale 2/1954 (thx WxStatman)

May: 99 Medicine Hat 5/1911; -18 Lake Louise 1/1954

Jun: 107 Medicine Hat 21/1900; 14 Lake Louise 1/1919

Jul: 110  Ft Macleod 18/1941; 19 Lake Louise 8/1981

Aug: 107 Empress 5/1961; 18 Lake Louise 28/1995

Sep: 101 Empress 5/1967; -13 Lake Louise 24/1926

Oct: 93 Medicine Hat 6/1889; -33 High Level 31/1984

Nov: 80 Pekisko 15/1905; -52 Sion 30/1919

Dec: 77 Ft Macleod 8/1903; -72 Ft Vermilion 31/1933

 

 

I had time to dig around some more -

 

Dunvegan at 21.1C (70F) on 1/29/1931. This airmass brought 65F to downtown Portland. The Pekisko reading from 1906 was also 21.1C. There was a close call @ Altawan with 21.0C (70F) on 1/31/1992. Monthly record of 68F @ Havre, MT on that day as well.

 

The Medicine Hat reading on 5/5/1911 looks a bit suspect, especially when considering all the other high readings from that era @ that station (i.e. Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct records - although I have a fair bit of confidence in the April 1910 and June 1900 readings). Its not out of the realm of possibility as Havre was 91F that day, but I'm not entirely convinced its a legit reading. I haven't found any May readings that exceed Medicine Hat's 37.2C, but I found several 37.0C readings (also rounding to 99F) from May 1986:

 

37.0C @ Alliance South (5/28/1986)

37.0C @ Drumheller City (5/28/1986)

37.0C @ Bellis on 5/20/1986 - suspect reading since it supposedly occurred 8 days earlier.