Coldest Place In US Is Just Down the Road from Colorado

A location just down the road from Colorado recorded a not-so-toasty temperature of -28 degrees this morning, Monday, March 4, 2024, making it the coldest place in the contiguous United States.

A big "sorry" to anyone who believes we are only 15 away from the official first day of Spring. Surprise!

Get our free mobile app

I've been keeping an eye on this Utah location for some time. It frequently comes up on the National Weather Service as having had the coldest temperature in the nation. It holds the record for the second-lowest temperature ever recorded in the contiguous United States at -69.3.

A Place Most of Us Have Never Been

Have you ever visited Peter Sinks, Utah? Chances are you haven't. It's not a town. It is, in fact, a sinkhole. According to Wikipedia, you'll find Peter Sinks 8,100 feet above sea level in the Bear River Mountains in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

Why So Cold?

It seems temperature inversions trap the cold nighttime air. Even during the summer months, the bottom of the sinkhole rarely goes more than four consecutive days without freezing. Historically, in summertime high temps in the sinkhole rarely get above 80 degrees.

Where Precisely Will You Find Peter Sinks, Utah?

It's located in the extreme north part of Utah, right next to both the Idaho and Wyoming borders. One of the closest communities would be Garden City, Utah, the "Caribbean of the Rockies." Crunch a few numbers, and you'll discover it's only 148 miles from the Colorado state line.

Google Maps

How Close Is This To Grand Junction, Colorado?

Looking at Google Maps, Peter Sinks is a good 369 miles from Grand Junction, Colorado. It would take you the better part of eight hours to drive there.

On The Other Hand

A brisk -28 is a little rough for the fourth day of March. On the other hand, the fine folks of Rio Grande, Texas enjoyed a fun-filled day of swimming weather. That community had the highest recorded temperature in the contiguous United States for the date of Sunday, March 3, 2024, with a high of 90.

Keep an eye on the weather forecast for Peter Sinks. It's kind of fun. More often than not it will come up as the United States' coldest temperature for the night.

See 25 of Colorado's Coldest Record Lows Recorded in November

Winter is coming, and November is here to remind us all of how cold it actually gets in Colorado during the late fall months. We're checking out the record-low temps recorded in cities throughout Western Colorado during the month of November. Some of these records were set recently, and some have stood for nearly 100 years.

Gallery Credit: Wes Adams