Colorado has registered the coldest temperature in the lower 48 states this winter season.
Antero Reservoir in Park County reached negative 50 degrees Fahrenheit Wednesday morning, which is the fourth coldest reading observed there since records started in 1961.
The measurement is also a hair away from the overall coldest temperature recorded across the nation this winter. Birch Creek, Alaska registered the lowest low so far, which hit negative 51 degrees on Dec. 17.
The Antero reading was still 11 degrees shy of Colorado’s all-time coldest temperature. Maybell, Colorado, which is in the northwestern corner of the state, reached 61 degrees below zero back on Feb. 1, 1985.
The -50F reported at Antero Reservoir ties for the 4th coldest reading observed there since records started in 1961. That's still 11 degrees shy of the all time coldest temperature ever recorded in Colorado. #COwx https://t.co/OduF2yKsBK pic.twitter.com/P8yrU7G3FD
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) December 30, 2020
If temperatures were ever going to drop that low, it was going to happen around this time of year, said meteorologist Dave Barjenbruch with the National Weather Service.
“All the ingredients showed up last night, with the fresh snow, the clear skies and cold temperatures to allow temperatures to really plummet up there.”
Though it was markedly frigid, it’s not unusual for that area of Park County to get that cold. At this same time in December 2019, temperatures at the reservoir dropped to 48 below zero.
In Cortez, the National Weather Service reported a low of 6 degrees at 7:53 a.m. Wednesday, recorded at Cortez Municipal Airport. At 6:53 a.m. Thursday, the airport reported a low of 8 degrees.
The record low for Cortez in December was minus 22 on Dec. 8, 1978. Durango’s record low for the month was Dec. 9, 2013.
Cortez is expected to warm up on New Year’s weekend, with a low of 18 degrees on Friday morning, 16 degrees Saturday and 20 degrees Sunday. High temperatures were expected to gradually climb from 34 on Friday to 40 on Monday.
Temperatures in Durango were expected to drop to lows of 10 degrees Friday, gradually rising to lows 19 Monday. Highs were expected to gradually climb from 36 Friday to 42 Monday.
The Journal contributed to this article.
