Can you imagine spending the night in -33 degree temperatures? That's how cold it was last night (November 22 - 23) at this spot in Utah.

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. As a matter of fact, it holds the record for second-lowest temperature ever recorded in the contiguous United States a -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.

Why so cold? It seems temperature inversions trap the cold nighttime air. Even during summer months, the bottom of the sinkhole rarely goes more than four consecutive days without freezing. Historically, 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 boarders. One of the closest communities would be Garden City, Utah, the "Caribbean of the Rockies." Looking at Garden City's forecast for today, November 23, they're looking at a chance of snow and a high of 35. Tonight's expected low temperature is projected to be around 18 degrees. That's a far cry from Peter Sink's -33.

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.

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.

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