LOGAN, Utah — Cold Arctic air has moved into Utah, making the last few days very chilly. However, one place in Utah was colder than many others.
Peter Sinks, a natural pit about 20 miles northeast of Logan, hit a temperature of minus 55 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday night. This makes it one of the coldest places in the lower 48 states.
Why was Peter Sinks much colder than the rest of Utah?
The Utah Climate Center at Utah State University says that the very low temperatures in Peter Sinks happen because of a mix of special conditions in that area.
The natural limestone pit is 8,164 feet high. It has a special shape of the land and a dry climate with no valleys to let water or air escape.
The Utah Climate Center said, “On clear, calm nights, this area cools down by letting out the heat it stored during the day.” Also, cool, heavy air moves down into the valley in a process called cold air pooling. Very low temperatures can happen, especially after winter Arctic fronts.
The negative-55 degrees at Peter Sinks this week is not the coldest temperature ever recorded there. In February 1985, the temperature dropped to minus 69.3 degrees Fahrenheit, making it officially the second-coldest temperature ever recorded in the lower 48 states. The coldest temperature was 69.7 degrees Fahrenheit at Roger’s Pass, Montana in 1954.
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