Unusual weather trivia that is hard to google

[wx_statman]

The answer was South Carolina for anyone interested.

 

Ah. I actually checked Tennessee and Alabama, because of the September 1925 heat wave in that region. Didn't check South Carolina. 

[wx_statman]

Here's another question just for fun.   

 

Which locations have glaciers in places that seldom have snow fall?  I can think of a few.  They are outside the US though.  Some are obvious, while some are surprising.  The reasons are different for different locations. 

 

Franz Josef glacier in NZ immediately came to mind, thanks to its low-elevation reach in a maritime climate. 

[Scott]

Franz Josef glacier in NZ immediately came to mind, thanks to its low-elevation reach in a maritime climate. 

 

Yes, there.   The lowest parts of Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers seldom have snowfall, even in winter, but the mountains above see a tremendous amount.   It's enough to push the glaciers almost down almost to sea level.

 

Here are the other places I was thinking of:

 

The Atacama Desert is the driest desert in the world (though parts of Antarctica may be just as dry), but a few glaciers do exist (at least for now).  Above 20,000 feet or so, it's cold enough that what (rare) snow does fall has formed glaciers over thousands of years.

 

Parts of northern Greenland see almost no snow (much of Greenland does see snow though), but it's too cold to melt what does fall, thus glaciers are formed.

 

Much of Antarctica is the same way.   Most of Antarctica sees very little snow (the exceptions are in places near the coast along the Antarctic Peninsula). Since the temperature never reaches freezing in most places in Antarctica, glaciers have formed over millions of years of accumulation. 

 

Another possible answer is parts of Mongolia, though summers are wet enough (all other seasons see almost no precipitation in much of the country) that it is a stretch to say that snow is seldom since summer does see snow on occasion in the areas where glaciers exist (the highest mountains of the Altai are actually wet by Mongolia standards-though still very dry [snow does fall in the Altai somewhat frequently], but some other areas in Mongolia with glaciers are much drier).

[wx_statman]

The answer was South Carolina for anyone interested.

 

By the way, SC broke their state record high in 2012. So the June/September quirk is no longer true in that state. 

[Scott]

Yes; I missed that one for some reason. That leaves Alabama as the last state with its record high in September.

[wx_statman]

RE: Alaska state monthly records.

 

I found another interesting one. Beaver RAWS hit -48 in the October 1996 cold wave (lowest official reading was -41 in Tok). This reading tied the official October record for the state, -48 at Clear Water in 1975. 

[Scott]

Another trivia question:

 

In which US state is does the permanent snowline generally increase in elevation as you move south to north.  

[Phil]

Another trivia question:

 

In which US state is does the permanent snowline generally increase in elevation as you move south to north.

Is it outside the lower-48?

 

If it’s not Alaska, then maybe Idaho or Wyoming?

[wx_statman]

Alaska makes the most sense, given the huge snowfall totals in the south vs. relatively dry north...

[Scott]

Yes, it's Alaska. Southern Alaska (as far as I know all of it) has a lower perpetual snow line than the Brooks Range. Central Alaska has a snow line between the two.

[Scott]

Just for fun:

 

Which location is thought that wind speeds can exceed 1300 mph?

[wx_statman]

Just for fun:

 

Which location is thought that wind speeds can exceed 1300 mph?

 

Is this a trick question? I.e. factoring in the rotation speed of the earth or something?

[Phil]

Is this a trick question? I.e. factoring in the rotation speed of the earth or something?

Has to be somewhere above the mesopause.

[Scott]

Is this a trick question? I.e. factoring in the rotation speed of the earth or something?

It's sort of a trick question, but the wind speeds are real. They don't include rotation.

 

Has to be somewhere above the mesopause

Even in the mesopause, wind speeds don't approach that high.

[GHweatherChris]

When an asteroid hits? Other than that, no where on earth.

[Scott]

When an asteroid hits? Other than that, no where on earth.

Nowhere on earth is the key. One of the planets in our solar system has winds that can exceed 1300 mph.

[Phil]

Nowhere on earth is the key. One of the planets in our solar system has winds that can exceed 1300 mph.

Ahh, important little detail there.

 

Neptune.

[Scott]

Neptune

Correct. I wonder what the windchill would be with a -353F temperature and a 1300 mph wind?

[GHweatherChris]

You are welcome Phil!

[wx_statman]

Nowhere on earth is the key. One of the planets in our solar system has winds that can exceed 1300 mph.

 

I knew it! Trick question after all. 

[Phil]

Correct. I wonder what the windchill would be with a -353F temperature and a 1300 mph wind?

Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s worse in Tim’s backyard.

[Scott]

Hard:

 

Here are a few questions that might be hard, but they are interesting.

 

1.  Which towns or cities have recorded both the nation's (or at least in the Lower 48) high and low temperatures in the same year?

 

2.  Which town or city has recorded the nation's (Lower 48) low and high at least twice?

 

Easier:

 

3.  Which city has recorded temperatures of at least 40 or colder every month of the year?

 

A = Denver

B = Salt Lake City

C = Minneapolis

D = Chicago

 

4.  Which city has recorded subzero temperatures seven months of the year?  

 

A = Denver

B = International Falls

C = Caribou, Maine

D = Burlington, Vermont

 

5.  Which city has recorded temperatures over 90 degrees in April?

 

A = Salt Lake City

B = International Falls

C = Pocatello, Idaho

D = Elko, Nevada

 

6.  Which city has the warmest all time extreme low temperature?

 

A = Salt Lake City

B = Denver

C = Milwaukee 

D = Chicago

[Phil]

1 & 2: Somewhere in the Dakotas or eastern Montana?

 

3) Denver

 

4) Denver

 

5) International Falls, I think?

 

6) Either Milwaukee or Chicago.

[Scott]

1 & 2: Somewhere in the Dakotas or eastern Montana?

 

 

For #1, one of the locations is in Eastern Montana.  In 1988, Glasgow had the nation's high on 6/5/1988 with 108 and the nation's low on 11/17/1988 with -7 and 12/24/1988 with -6.

 

The other location is Elk City Idaho, but looking closer, I think the high is dubious. For 8/26/1986, the nation's high is listed as 106 at Elk City and on 10/18/1986 Elk City had the nation's low with 14.  Looking closer, I don't think the 106 is valid though.   

 

I would assume that in 1936, it could have happened in the Dakotas as well, but I don't know where or even if the daily nation high and low information can be obtained that far back (without going through all of the weather records by hand!).

 

2006 in South Dakota would be a good candidate as well, though I can't find any.

 

Edit:  International Falls should almost certainly be on the list.   It had the nation's high on 6/17/1995.   It's a sure bet that it also had the nation's low sometime in 1995.

 

Two Harbors Minnesota also had the nation's high on 5/6/2016.   It's possible that it may have had the nation's low the same year, but I'd have to go through the records.  

 

For #2, the location isn't in the Dakotas or Eastern Montana.

 

3) Denver

 

 

Nope.   Denver (surprisingly perhaps) has never dropped to 40 or below in July.

 

4) Denver

 

 

Yes.   Denver has relatively mild winters, but they do sometimes have early and late season cold snaps.  Even International Falls hasn't dropped below zero in as many months as Denver.

 

5) International Falls, I think?

 

 

Yes.   International Falls has had three April days at or above 90.   On 4/21/1980 it was 90; on 4/27/1952 it was 93; and on 4/28/1952 it was 91. 

 

6) Either Milwaukee or Chicago. 

 

 

Yes.   I was thinking Milwaukee, but it could also be Chicago if you use the Midway Airport.

 

Here are the all time record lows for each location (at least at the airports):

 

Salt Lake City = -30 on 2/9/1933

Denver = -29 (some almanacs say -30, but don't give a date) on 1/9/1875

Milwaukee = -26 on 1/17/1982 and 2/3/1996

Chicago O'Hare = -27 on 1/20/1985

Chicago Midway = -25 on 1/20/1985 (some almanacs say -26, but don't give a date) 

[Phil]

I think it’s interesting how the majority of the big cold/snow records west of the Rockies occurred more than a half century ago, while many of the cold/snow records east of the Rockies were set after the 1970s.

[Scott]

I think it’s interesting how the majority of the big cold/snow records west of the Rockies occurred more than a half century ago, while many of the cold/snow records east of the Rockies were set after the 1970s.

 

Yes, especially the all time records in the bigger cities.  

 

From the Rockies and westward there really haven't been many all time records set since December 1990.

 

In the last 50 years, there were some big cold snaps that set several all time records (1/1971; 2/1985; 2/1989; 12/1990 come immediately to mind), but they seemed to have disappeared in the last few decades. 

 

A few impressive cold snaps in recent years have produced some impressive monthly records, but not all time records.   Some impressive cold snaps in the West since 1990 include 10/1991; 11/1991; 8/1992; 7/1993; 11/1993; 6/1995; 2/1996; 6/1998; 11/2000; 10/2002; 11/2004; 11/2006; 4/2008; 12/2009; 2/2011; 11/2014; and 1/2017, but none of those (to my knowledge at least) produced all time records.   

 

While places like Salt Lake City dropped to -30 in 1933 and to the -20's several times in the 1930's and 1940's, it is extremely unlikely (in my opinion at least) that Salt Lake City will see any temperatures reaching -20 in my lifetime.   

 

Chicago or Milwaukee haven't recorded temperatures of -30, but I fully suspect that they will drop to the -20's again in the future and within our lifetimes.   

[Scott]

For those interested in the answers, Phil got most of them, but here are the answers to the ones still unanswered.

 

 

3.  Which city has recorded temperatures of at least 40 or colder every month of the year?

 

A = Denver

B = Salt Lake City

C = Minneapolis

D = Chicago

 

 

The answer is Salt Lake City.   Salt Lake City has dropped to 40 twice in July and August has dropped to 37 twice.

 

It is surprising that Denver hasn't gotten as cold as Salt Lake City in July and August, since summer nights average colder there, but perhaps the higher humidity (in comparison to Salt Lake in summer) has prevented it from happening. 

 

Minneapolis and Chicago are very close to dropping to 40 in every month, but the record low for August in Chicago is 41 and the record low for July in Minneapolis is 43.   For these locations, for sure it is the humidity that has prevented colder temperatures in the summer.

 

2.  Which town or city has recorded the nation's (Lower 48) low and high at least twice?

 

 

 

 It is Valentine, Nebraska.   When it comes to averages, there are colder and hotter places on average, but the temperatures in Valentine fluctuate all over the place from one day to the next.   It is enough that Valentine has recorded the nation's high and low on at least two occasions, and possibly more.  

[Phil]

Fascinating stuff, man. I really appreciate it.

[Scott]

Fascinating stuff, man. I really appreciate it.

 

Here's a question that you may know the answer to.  I do not.

 

A weather almanac I have lists West Virginia as the state east of the Mississippi that has recorded the nation's high and low in the course of a single year, but it doesn't give the locations.

 

I have seen West Virginia record the nation's low, but not the high. 

 

Which place or places in West Virginia have recorded the nation's high?  

[Scott]

OK; one more Solar System question.

 

Which (there is more than one) of the following planets is known to have permanent ice:

 

A.  Mercury

B.  Venus

C.  Earth

D.  Mars

[Phil]

Mars and Earth do. I don’t know about the others.

[Phil]

Here's a question that you may know the answer to. I do not.

 

A weather almanac I have lists West Virginia as the state east of the Mississippi that has recorded the nation's high and low in the course of a single year, but it doesn't give the locations.

 

I have seen West Virginia record the nation's low, but not the high.

 

Which place or places in West Virginia have recorded the nation's high?

I actually don’t know the answer to this..and I find it hard to believe, tbh. I could see West Virginia featuring the largest temperature *spread* of any state east of the Mississippi given the extremely variable topography and the extreme adiabatic/upslope microclimate cooling effects during the winter.

 

Places like Snowshoe can easily drop below -20*F and have supposedly dropped to -45*F, while downslope locations like Martinsburg, WV can get extremely hot during the summer (they hit 110*F during the dust bowl of the 1930s).

[Scott]

Mars and Earth do. I don’t know about the others.

The other planet is (surprisingly) Mercury. Temperatures on Mercury average 335F and can reach 800F. Since Mercury has almost no atmosphere, night temperatures drop to -290F. Ice deep in craters and fissures survives near the poles in areas that are permanently shaded. Not bad for a planet that hits 800F in the sun! It's definitely an example of extreme microclimates. The temperature can change by a thousand degrees by simply seeking a nearby shaded area.

[Scott]

Places like Snowshoe can easily drop below -20*F

I remember the nation's daily low being in Canaan Valley before, but unfortunately that station isn't operating anymore. Next to Snowshoe, Canaan Valley seems to be one of the coldest locations in West Virginia, at least at night.

 

As far as the nation's daily high goes, if in West Virgina it probably wouldn't be in summer. I have seen Maryland have the nation's high before, so I guess it could happen in West Virgina during a freak heat wave, most likely in Spring or Fall. West Virgina did have a freak heat wave in December 1982 (with several locations in the 80's), but it probably want enough to beat Florida on any day because Florida was warm then too. Maybe it could have beat out Florida on one of the days though? I don't know and it would take a lot of digging.

[Phil]

The other planet is (surprisingly) Mercury. Temperatures on Mercury average 335F and can reach 800F. Since Mercury has almost no atmosphere, night temperatures drop to -290F. Ice deep in craters and fissures survives near the poles in areas that are permanently shaded. Not bad for a planet that hits 800F in the sun! It's definitely an example of extreme microclimates. The temperature can change by a thousand degrees by simply seeking a nearby shaded area.

Wow, I didn’t know that. That’s actually fascinating.

 

Are you into astronomy? You seem pretty loaded with knowledge about this stuff.

[Phil]

[Scott]

Are you into astronomy? You seem pretty loaded with knowledge about this stuff. 

 

 

Somewhat.  It is interesting.

[Scott]

Here's something I didn't know about the record low in Alabama on 1/30/1966.  

 

I knew the -27 recorded at New Market was very impressive, but I didn't know it was the coldest place in the nation that day:

https://whnt.com/2016/01/27/50-years-ago-alabamas-coldest-day/

 

Russellville AL had a -24 and was the second coldest place in the nation that day.  

 

I would have never suspected that Alabama could have the nation's low, even during an impressive cold snap.  

[Omegaraptor]

Which town (inhabited, with a population) has the largest August diurnal range out of any town in the US?

 

Hint: It's between 40ºN and 44ºN in southern Oregon or far northern California.

[Omegaraptor]

 

Impressive, but that is not it. Boca is below 40ºN.

 

Another hint: It's in the Klamath Mountains.