Utah Had One of the Coldest Temperatures in the US This Week
A location 143 miles down the road from Colorado recorded a horrifyingly low temperature this morning (Monday, January 30, 2023), making it the coldest place in the contiguous United States.
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. This morning's low temp was close to tying the record.
A Place Most of Us Have Never Been
This location in Utah holds the record for the second-lowest temperature ever recorded in the contiguous United States at -69.3.
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.
Unbelievably Low Temperature This Morning In Peter Sinks, Utah
According to the National Weather Service, the low temperature this morning (January 30, 2023) in Peter Sinks, Utah was an unbelievable -59 degrees.
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. It's 143 miles from the northwest corner of the state of Colorado. One of the closest communities would be Garden City, Utah, the "Caribbean of the Rockies."
How close is this to our neck of the woods?
Looking at Google Maps, Peter Sinks is a good 369 miles from Grand Junction. It would take you the better part of eight hours to drive there.
On The Other Hand
If basking away in the -59 degree temperature in Peter Sinks, Utah isn't your thing, there is an alternative. You could hang out 1,164 miles southeast in Pharr, Texas. That town had the warmest temperature in the contiguous United States for yesterday, Sunday, January 29, 2023. They were soaking up the rays, enjoying a temperature of 90 degrees.
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 coldest temperature for the night for the contiguous United States.