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What is the coldest and hottest that you have been out in?


Scott

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What is the coldest and hottest that you have been out in?

 

For me, the coldest was -48F at my house on February 2 2011.

 

The coldest windchill was probably on Jacque Peak (elevation 13,211 feet) on December 26 2015.   I calculated the windchill was a sustained -54F, but around -67F with wind gusts.

 

The hottest I have been was 112F (official high) at Zion National Park on July 4 2007 and 112 F at Death Valley on July 4 2015.   Interestingly, the Death Valley temperature was actually on a cooler than normal day as the normal high for July 4 is 115!

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Coldest is about 18 F at Joshua Tree one December at a Boy Scout camp. We were not at all prepared for such cold temperatures, as our sleeping bags were for summer. We never went camping in the winter before, and I did not get much sleep that night freezing to death. Also my dad missed the turn into Joshua Tree in the dark and that cost us about an extra hour or two on the road, as there was no place to turn around nearby and that was way before GPS.

 

Hottest is around 116 F in Phoenix.

 

Note that both places are in the desert.

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The hottest ambient temperature I experienced was ~120F in Death Valley, CA. Felt like an oven roasting my skin and peripheral flesh. However, most horrific heat index (and overall feeling of death) I experienced was in July of 2011 back home, with an ambient temperature of 105*F and a dewpoint of 81*F. Later that afternoon, the anvil head from a nearby thunderstorm dropped light rain here, which lowered the temperature to 94*F but spiked the dewpoint to 89*F. Walked out to get the mail and literally dropped to my knees. I thought I was going to drown in my sweat.

 

The coldest ambient temperature I experienced was -19*F during a radiational cooling episode following the last blizzard in 2010, but the most brutal was Valentines Day of 2015. Arctic front roared through with blizzard conditions, while temperatures dropped to between -8*F to -14*F, and winds frequently gusted between 60-80mph (89mph @ WBH) west of the Fall line. Wind chills were between -30F and -50F around the region (also west of the Fall Line). In the mountains (Snowshoe at al) wind chills approached -70*F.

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Phil has experienced the most extreme temperatures here. Could have called that one from a mile away.

Why don't you travel, then? Not my fault you refuse to leave your maritime-climate backyard. :)

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Who said I don't travel? It was more a joke about your personality. :)

It's no secret I overdramatize hot summer weather. Heat is to me as rain is to Tim.

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I believe mine are +107F in Salt Lake City and -3 in Provo (both in Utah). However, I am not 100% sure on either of these though.

Winter 23-24: Total Snow (3.2")    Total Ice (0.2")     Coldest Low: 1F     Coldest High: 5F

Snow Events: 0.1" Jan 5th, 0.2" Jan 9th, 1.6" Jan 14, 0.2" (ice) Jan 22, 1.3" Feb 12

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Without leaving home, my range would be -48F to 98F.

 

Since I moved here in 2004, the average of the annual lows has been -34 to an average annual low of 97F.   

 

On the plus side, when it's really cold, it's usually calm and in summer humidity is very low.

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Without leaving home, my range would be -48F to 98F.

 

Since I moved here in 2004, the average of the annual lows has been -34 to an average annual low of 97F.   

 

On the plus side, when it's really cold, it's usually calm and in summer humidity is very low.

Very few cities in the US have seen -40 in the 21st century outside a few spots in the Rockies or northern Plains.

The Pacific Northwest: Where storms go to die.

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Very few cities in the US have seen -40 in the 21st century outside a few spots in the Rockies or northern Plains.

 

 

True, but there are a fair number of them in the Plains and Rockies that drop that low on a somewhat frequent basis. 

 

Since moving here in October 2004, it has dropped to or below -40 in four years (including this one) out of the 13.  Downtown though, it hasn't dropped to or below -40 since 2011 (-37 this year).

 

Besides Peter Sinks, West Yellowstone 9NNW may have been on track (this is just my guess though) to record the most frequent -40 or below temps in the 21st century, but unfortunately, the weather station seems to have stopped operating in 2007.   When it was operating it had more frequent -40 temperatures than places like Taylor Park CO, Embarrass MN, or Tower MN.

 

http://images.summitpost.org/original/997605.JPG

 

Lamar Ranger Station in Yellowstone recorded -40 or lower in nine years in the 21st century, but data is incomplete and doesn't exist between 2000-2004 (had it been operating during that time period, it almost certainly would have recorded temperatures below -40 in 2003 and 2004 and possibly 2002 as well).

 

http://images.summitpost.org/original/997606.JPG

 

Embarrass MN has reached -40 or lower in ten years in the 21st century, with an average of -40.  By default, this might make Embarrass the station with the most -40's or below in the 21st century since the two above have incomplete data.  

 

http://images.summitpost.org/original/997607.JPG

 

Some honorable mentions (4 or more years since I'll use my house as a baseline):

 

Antero Reservoir Colorado:  5 years of -40's or below in the 21st century

Taylor Park Colorado:  5 years of -40's or below in the 21st century

My house:   4 years of -40's or below in the 21st century

 

Wisdom Montana:  7 years of -40's or below in the 21st century

 

Lamar RS Wyoming:  7 years of -40's or below in the 21st century

Darwin Ranch Wyoming:  7 years of -40's or below in the 21st century

Old Faithful Wyoming:  4 years of -40's or below in the 21st century

 

International Falls Minnesota:  5 years of -40's or below in the 21st century

 

Surprisingly places that are known for cold spots didn't make the list including Big Piney Wyoming or Tower Minnesota.  I couldn't find anywhere in North Dakota, which is also surprising.  Stanley Idaho and Fraser Colorado are also missing, though the Fraser station was moved to a warmer location in 1988 so it doesn't get as cold there anymore.  Stanley gets cold year round, but sometimes its winter extremes aren't quite as low as some others.

 

East of the Mississippi, I could only find one area that dropped to below -40.  Van Buren Maine dropped to -40 in January 2009, which isn't far from the state record of -48.  It was only in one year this century though. 

 

Actually we have warmer winters than most or all of the places above, we just seem to get extremes at times. 

 

Looks like Scott wins the temperature range contest. 

 

 

Not if there are any members here from Eastern Montana or Interior Alaska.   They would definitely have me beat even if they never left home.

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What is the largest town or city that has seen -40 in the 21st century? Probably International Falls. Maybe some fraction of 1% of the US population resides somewhere that has reached -40 since 2000. Most of the spots you mentioned are nearly devoid of permanent residents.

Embarrass is the coldest town in the lower 48 on average...International Falls, MN and Tower, MN...as well as Baudette and Ely, MN aren't far behind.

The Pacific Northwest: Where storms go to die.

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What is the largest town or city that has seen -40 in the 21st century? Probably International Falls. 

 

 

Great question, but for sure it's not International Falls (population of ~6300).   It is probably Bismark North Dakota with a population of 67,000, which hit -44 in 2009.   I assume next might be Laramie Wyoming which has a population of about 32,000 and last hit -40 last January.   Even Craig Colorado (where I live) has a population of about 9000, which is larger than International Falls.   Even if the un-official readings at my house are discounted, the official weather station last hit -40 in February 2011 (this year the official station got fairly close with -37).

 

http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/997624.jpg

 

Embarrass is the coldest town in the lower 48 on average...International Falls, MN and Tower, MN...as well as Baudette and Ely, MN aren't far behind.

 

 

Several  towns (tiny, but Embarrass is too-it only has a population of around 30) in the Rockies average about as cold as Embarrass (maybe slightly cooler), but they are close enough in temperature that which one is colder depends on which years are looked at.   

 

In Colorado, Fraser, Crested Butte, Taylor Park, and Silverton are all about as cold as Embarrass and are contenders for the coldest populated place in the Lower 48 that has an official weather station, but they are all close enough in temperature that which is colder is dependent on the period of record looked at.  

 

Stanley Idaho and Dillon Colorado aren't too far behind.   West Yellowstone would be on there too, but unfortunately the weather station hasn't been operating in recent years.  Leadville is up there too, but being on a slope they don't get the extreme lows that other locations experience.

 

Tabernash and Frisco Colorado are towns without official weather stations, but Tabernash is known to be colder than Fraser and Frisco is colder than Dillon.  Breckenridge has a weather station, but it only records precipitation and snowfall.   Historically it did record temperatures, not not in recent years.  Still, Breckenridge is 800 feet higher than Dillon and in the same type of exposed valley location, so it is likely colder than Dillon.

 

A friend showed me this (obviously non-official) -52 from Tabernash when Fraser was -33 (January 2010).

 

http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab297/mobmascik/0202010708-1.jpg?t=1315602115

 

 

Tabernash (population 417) might be the true champion of the coldest town in the Lower 48, but it doesn't have an official station.

 

Although they don't get the extreme low temperatures, for many years Climax Colorado would have been the coldest town in the Lower 48.   The resident population mostly left in 1965, with only a very few residents sticking around after that.   The mine reopened in 2012 though, so if the town does come back (which still seems unlikely), it will be the coldest town in the Lower 48 on average.  Still, temperatures there (or Leadville) don't drop below the -30's.  Climax actually has winter lows averaging slightly above zero, which is warmer than several other locations in the Rockies, but it is also a very windy location, so chill factors are usually lower than nearby places that get colder.

 

Anyway, the reason that the higher elevation towns in Colorado don't show up on the daily extremes very often is because several years ago, the NWS decided to exclude stations above 8500 feet in the daily extremes.

 

In winter though, Embarrass is still colder than the places mentioned above.   Night-time winter temperatures at several of those other stations are comparable to Embarrass, but daytime winter temperatures in the towns in the Rockies tend to be warmer.

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I had the opportunity to study and live in the upper Midwest & Northeast [Philadelphia/ NYC] for several years when I was much younger. I was the only kid in my dorm who would run outside and dance in delight during a snowfall even when it still snowed in April [locals groaned]. The Lake Michigan snow belt was incredibly fun for me to experience for 2 years [ie. going outside w/ wet hair that quickly turns into an icicle]. Actually the coldest temp that I can recall was in St Louis in early Jan at 5°. Extreme summer heat didn't occur during this time but I remember well sweltering days & great thunderstorms followed by dry cool conditions after frontal passage.

 

The worst heat was here in California at 115° [salton Sea]. My experience of it involved a drive out of Julian [ele: 4200'] typical summer day: lo 80's.  Highway 78 drops down a sharp escarpment into the Sonoran desert.  When we opened the car doors on the shore near Mecca [ele: -187], thousands of flies swarmed inside w/ the stench of dead fish in the air. Camera malfunction occurred in the intense and somewhat humid heat. Got back in the car fast. I've recorded 112° [June 1990]. It may sound insignificant to some but the coldest temp [30°] occurred when I lived below in the canyon during the Freeze of 1990.

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I was travelling with my family through the central valley of California in late June 1995. Easily 110+ at one of the rest areas during the afternoon. PDX hit 97 in that one. 

 

As for coldest, I was in St. Petersburg, Russia during the big European cold wave in January 1987. The official station hit something like -32F, which was the coldest of the 20th century. I was 3 years old and indoors, but still.  :lol:

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Warmest temp for me was 121 in the Mojave Desert in 2009 I believe. Coldest temp has been -15 (not at my house) here in Central OR. I've experienced a few -20 to -25 wind chills while skiing.

 

For locations I've lived the range is -10 to 116.

Bend, OR

Elevation: 3550'

 

Snow History:

Nov: 1"

Dec: .5"

Jan: 1.9"

Feb: 12.7"

Mar: 1.0"

Total: 17.1"

 

2016/2017: 70"

2015/2016: 34"

Average: ~25"

 

2017/2018 Winter Temps

Lowest Min: 1F on 2/23

Lowest Max: 23F on 12/24, 2/22

Lows <32: 87

Highs <32: 13

 

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  • 5 weeks later...

Hottest: July 21, 2002 in Chicago (where I was on vacation). The AT/DP split in the south west suburbs (where my aunt's house was, I was staying with her family) was 97/70, 106-107 heat index. WIthout exaggeration, I thought I was going to die. Besides a brief soujourn to the Maryland suburbs of DC the previous summer (and even then it was more of the typical 88/69DP Mid-Atlantic kind of summer), I had never up to that point been exposed to conditions even a quarter as hot or humid. And I was only 11 at the time, so I was very young. My aunt and uncle had me stay indoors that day as much as possible.

 

Coldest: Probably the cold snap of February 2014 in Metro Vancouver. -10ish in Burnaby?

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Hottest: July 21, 2002 in Chicago (where I was on vacation). The AT/DP split in the south west suburbs (where my aunt's house was, I was staying with her family) was 97/70, 106-107 heat index. WIthout exaggeration, I thought I was going to die. Besides a brief soujourn to the Maryland suburbs of DC the previous summer (and even then it was more of the typical 88/69DP Mid-Atlantic kind of summer), I had never up to that point been exposed to conditions even a quarter as hot or humid. And I was only 11 at the time, so I was very young. My aunt and uncle had me stay indoors that day as much as possible.

 

Coldest: Probably the cold snap of February 2014 in Metro Vancouver. -10ish in Burnaby?

If only those 88/69 afternoons still occurred as frequently as they used to around here. :lol:

 

IIRC, after July 4th last year, we only observed four days below 90*F through mid-August, and 40+ of those days had heat indices at/above 100*F. Quite the slap back to reality after the stretch of tolerable summers from 2013 to 2015.

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  • 2 months later...

It will take a while to figure out all the hottest temperatures in each month (high temperatures are more complicated to record accurately!), but here are the coldest I have recorded in the Lower 48 (I spend a lot of time in the mountains).

 

cold.JPG

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