
Coldest Place In Lower 48? Weird But First Check Utah
Utah stands out for many reasons. Great skiing, big families, and one of the coldest spots on earth. You may not have known about the last one.
There is a Place in Utah That Has Set Record Lows
You might assume the coldest place in the contiguous United States is in Pikes Peak Colorado or some mountain pass on the border of Canada and Montana and those places do get cold, but there is a spot in Utah named Peter Sinks that is something special.
This area near Logan has an elevation of 8,100 feet and regularly records a temperature that is colder than anywhere else in the lower 48 states. Expect a case of frost bite if you visit this place with the awesome name. It is going to be cold.
Why Does Peter Sinks Get So Frigid?
It is all about trapping the cold air. Peter Sinks sits in a depression that keeps the cold air from leaving. It is a basin that extends for a couple miles that combines trapped air, high altitude, and dry air that produces temperatures in the range of 60 below.
In 1985 it was the 2nd coldest ever recorded in the lower 48 states with a chilly –69.3 below. That will freeze over your tear ducts and make normal thermometers ice over.
Read More: Why My Utah House Feels So Cold In The Winter
Utah States Climate Center put a weather station there in 2009 and now you can check out the temperature in Peter Sinks from the comfort of your heated office. As I’m writing this it looks like it got to about –54 overnight but is all the way up to 7 degrees by noon.
LOOK: 50 cozy towns to visit this winter
Gallery Credit: Laura Ratliff