Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Utah Record Cold Temperatures Disappear

SEARCH BLOG: CLIMATE CHANGE

Previously, I reported that NOAA/NCDC has a committee to determine all-time statewide weather records. This web page was added to the NOAA system and allows individuals to look at the approved records.

While there have been some minor changes in a few states, the change to the record minimum temperature in Utah is rather dramatic ... it is now 19 degrees warmer!

From NOAA:
20. An un-official temperature of -62 F at Middle Sink, UT was reported by the Utah State Climatologist on Jan 30th, 2002. Middle Sink, UT is located in the upper reached of the Logan river drainage between Logan and Bear Lake. If this reading is accepted as an official record this would be a new January record low for Utah. The current January record is -50 F set at Strawberry East in 1950. The all time record low was set at Peter's Sink at -69 F on February 1, 1985.
From the new U.S. State Climate Extremes Committee webpage for Utah:

VariableLocationValueDateStation IDStatus
24-hr PrecipitationDeer Creek Dam5.08 in.February 1, 1963422057NA
24-hr Snow FallAlta38.0 in.December 2, 1982420072NA
Snow DepthAlta179 in.April 5 & 7, 1958420072N1A
Maximum TemperatureSt. George117 °FJuly 5, 1985427516EA
Minimum TemperatureStrawberry Tunnel (East)-50 °FJanuary 5, 1913422319NA

I've requested clarification from NOAA. Right now, I do not have a "warm and fuzzy feeling" about the integrity of the data.

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