beavis1729

Yep...I'll take a look. So far, I've focused on more recent decades, as the hourly temperature and wind speed data is more readily available on Weather Underground.

Thanks Hoosier...good catch.

Yikes...that is cold. That's a good idea to look at the Feb. 1899 cold wave.

Maine Frenchville, 1/16/2009: wind chill -47 (temp -30, wind 6 mph) http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KFVE/2009/1/16/DailyHistory.html

Good stuff...I never realized 1917-18 was such a cold winter in the Midwest/OV.

Florida Pensacola, 1/21/1985: wind chill -10 (temp 5, wind 10 mph) http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KPNS/1985/1/21/DailyHistory.html?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA

Wyoming Casper, 12/21/1990: wind chill of -55 (temp -30, wind 12 mph) http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KCPR/1990/12/21/DailyHistory.html Not saying this is the coldest wind chill on record in WY...but it's what I've found so far.

Thanks...looks like Mason City IA had a wind chill of -54 at 4:00 AM on 2/2/1996....temp -29, wind 12 mph. http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KMCW/1996/2/2/DailyHistory.html?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA

Nice find. The "-40F % column" in the table at the end of the paper highlights some good towns to focus on for wind chill records.

Alaska Deadhorse, 1/28/1989: wind chill -102F (temp -54F with a 36 mph wind)...on the new scale! That is insane. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadhorse

Me too...and of course you piqued my curiosity with this. Looks like Bloomington, IL set an all-time record low on that date (-23F). Tulsa, OK had a high temp of 2F on 1/11/1918...about 45 degrees below the 1981-2010 normal.

Sounds like a lovely, brisk day. That may take the cake for the lower 48...unless somewhere in MT/ND came close...

Wow - that's very impressive for central Indiana.

Nice...it looks like La Crosse WI also had a -54F wind chill on 2/2/1996 (-34F with a 7 mph wind): http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KLSE/1996/2/2/DailyHistory.html?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA

North Dakota Minot AFB, 2/1/1996: -66F (-35F with 17 mph winds)

**List has been updated several times...keeping it in 1st post for easy reference** It's difficult to find exact records on this topic...but I thought it would be fun to document the coldest wind chill ever recorded by state. Of course, wind chills are computed based on sustained winds, not wind gusts. I am basing this off the new wind chill formula that was created in 2001. Let the fun begin. NH: -107 (Mount Washington, 1/16/2004) AK: -100 (McGrath, 1/27/1989) NY: -84 (Whiteface Mountain, 2/13/2016) MT: -70 (Rogers Pass, 1/20/1954) UT: -69 (Peter's Sink, 2/1/1985) ND: -68 (Williston, 12/24/1983) MN: -66 (Duluth, 1/10/1982) WY: -66 (Riverside Ranger Station, 2/9/1933) IA: -64 (Waterloo, 12/24/1983) SD: -63 (Watertown, 1/10/1982) CO: -61 (Maybell, 2/1/1985) ID: -60 (Island Park, 1/18/1943) IL: -60 (Chicago, 1/20/1985) WI: -59 (Eau Claire, 1/10/1982) NE: -58 (Chadron, 12/21/1989) OH: -56 (Akron-Canton, 1/20/1985) IN: -55 (Muncie, 1/20/1985) OR: -54 (Seneca, 2/10/1933) MI: -54 (Ironwood, 1/6/2014) ME: -54 (Frenchville, 1/14/2004) MD: -53 (Frostburg, 1/21/1985) KS: -52 (Oketo, 12/24/1983) PA: -51 (Bradford, 1/21/1985) WV: -50 (Beckley, 1/21/1985) NV: -50 (San Jacinto, 1/8/1937) NM: -50 (Gavilan, 2/1/1951) MO: -50 (Kirksville, 1/10/1982) KY: -48 (Covington, 1/20/1985) VA: -48 (Hot Springs, 1/21/1985) WA: -48 (Mazama, 12/30/1968) OK: -47 (Medford, 2/10/2011) NC: -45 (Asheville, 1/21/1985) CA: -45 (Boca, 1/20/1937) MA: -43 (Worcester, 1/23/1976) TN: -41 (Knoxville, 1/21/1985) AZ: -40 (Hawley Lake, 1/7/1971) AR: -38 (Harrison, 1/20/1985) TX: -37 (Amarillo, 1/12/1963) GA: -28 (Atlanta, 1/21/1985) AL: -26 (Huntsville, 1/21/1985) MS: -19 (Corinth, 1/30/1966) LA: -16 (Minden, 2/13/1899) FL: -10 (Pensacola, 1/21/1985) HI: 15 (Mauna Kea, 1/5/1975)

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...COR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 718 PM AKDT THU MAR 22 2012 CORRECTION TO THE FIRST PARAGRAPH ...THE COLD MARCH CONTINUES AT FAIRBANKS... THROUGH THE FIRST THREE WEEKS OF MARCH THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT THE FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS -1.0 DEGREES...WHICH WAS 9.5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. MONTH TO DATE IT HAS BEEN THE COLDEST START TO MARCH SINCE 2007...AND MORE IMPRESSIVELY RANKS AS THE 3RD COLDEST START TO MARCH IN THE PAST 40 YEARS. ONLY TWO DAYS THIS MONTH HAVE HAD AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE THAT WAS ABOVE NORMAL. ON THE 6TH AND 7TH...THE HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 25 ABOVE...AND THESE WERE THE ONLY TWO DAYS THIS MONTH WHEN THE LOW TEMPERATURE DID NOT DIP BELOW ZERO. SO FAR THIS MONTH THERE HAVE BEEN 8 NIGHTS WITH A LOW TEMPERATURE OF 20 BELOW OR LOWER...WELL ABOVE THE AVERAGE OF 3 NIGHTS. PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN WELL ABOVE AVERAGE...IN LARGE PART TO A STORM THAT AFFECTED THE AREA ON THE 5TH THROUGH 7TH WITH NEARLY A FOOT OF SNOW. MONTH TO DATE...A TOTAL OF 13.6 INCHES OF SNOW HAS FALLEN WHICH IS 9.9 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. ONLY 2 INCHES OF SNOW IS NEEDED THE REMAINDER OF THE MONTH FOR THIS TO BECOME THE SNOWIEST MARCH SINCE 1991. A WEATHER FRONT WILL LIKELY BRING A PERIOD OF SNOW TO THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT THAT WILL TAPER TO SNOW SHOWERS SATURDAY. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS WEATHER SYSTEM. THE BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TOMORROW. TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN CLOSER TO SEASONABLE LEVELS OVER THE WEEKEND...AND WILL LIKELY PERSIST INTO NEXT WEEK. THE NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURE TODAY IN FAIRBANKS IS 29 WITH A NORMAL LOW OF 1 ABOVE.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK 1023 AM AKST SAT MAR 10 2012 ..UPDATED SEASONAL SNOWFALL TOTALS AND SNOW DEPTH AROUND ALASKA THE 2011/2012 WINTER WILL GO DOWN INTO THE RECORD BOOKS AS ONE OF THE SNOWIEST SEASONS FOR MANY LOCATIONS AROUND THE STATE. HERE IS A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF OBSERVATIONS AROUND SOUTHCENTRAL. THE OBSERVATIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED ARE FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES AND FROM THE COOPERATIVE OBSERVER PROGRAM (COOP). ALL MEASUREMENTS ARE IN INCHES. PLEASE VISIT THIS WEBSITE TO VIEW AN INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC HTTP://TINYURL.COM/7U2Y5LG WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES STATION NAME, SEASON TOTAL, SEASON AVERAGE, RECORD, SNOW DEPTH ------------------------------------------------------------------ ANCHORAGE 126.0 74.5 132.8 34 BARROW 64.6 33.4 76.6 13 BETHEL 72.7 54.5 177.5 16 COLD BAY 79.1 65.3 115.9 16 FAIRBANKS 54.9 65.5 147.3 29 JUNEAU 128.6 95.3 194.3 1 KING SALMON 64.8 44.8 78.8 6 KODIAK 131.3 69.1 148.6 8 KOTZEBUE 78.1 53.1 106.7 57 MCGRATH 104.8 89.8 162.2 49 NOME 69.3 64.0 129.4 26 ST. PAUL 67.2 60.6 103.3 23 VALDEZ 424.1 276.6 550.7 92 YAKUTAT 301.2 163.0 403.2 87 THE COOP IS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM. AT THE END OF EACH MONTH...OBSERVERS SEND IN THEIR MONTHLY TOTALS. THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF OBSERVATIONS AROUND SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA THROUGH FEBRUARY 29. * INDICATES A NEW RECORD + INDICATES MISSING FEBRUARY DATA STATION SEASON TOTAL SEASON AVERAGE RECORD SNOW DEPTH (SEP-FEB) (SEP-APR) --------------------------------------------------------------------- ANCHORAGE AREA CAMPBL CRK SC CTR *112.5 81.0 103.6 43 FORT RICHARDSON + 76.4 62.8 110.5 34 GLEN ALPS + 163.0 170.9 249.0 71 RABBIT CREEK + 124.8 103.3 159.9 53 UPPER DEARMOUN + 149.0 123.2 208.0 50 ALYESKA 314.5 224.4 375.6 78 EAGLE RIVER AREA GAKONA CIRCLE *121.4 78.2 102.2 38 MILE 5 EGL RVR RD 92.0 64.6 122.1 47 EGL RVR NATURE CTR 110.3 64.1 123.0 38 EKLUTNA *80.6 45.9 76.9 36 MATANUSKA AND SUSITNA VALLEY AREA BUTTE *77.5 62.9 71.9 21 MATANUSKA FARM 70.1 48.9 97.4 6 LAZY MOUNTAIN 66.9 83.8 133.7 30 AMBER LAKE + *124.1 110.1 121.0 44 KENAI PENINSULA HOMER 8NW 186.5 112.0 200.5 61 SOLDOTNA 5SSW + 48.2 57.1 68.2 22 STERLING 6SW 68.4 NA NA NA PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND AREA CANNERY CRK HTCHRY *287.5 149.1 253.7 99 CORDOVA NORTH *257.9 107.6 221.5 33 MAIN BAY HTCHRY *445.8 276.9 428.6 126 PORT SAN JUAN *181.7 112.1 174.2 60 WALLY NRNBRG HTCHRY 173.5 110.8 200.7 83 COPPER RIVER BASIN GLENNALLEN 48.7 52.3 94.0 14 KENNY LAKE 57.5 49.1 61.0 25 TONSINA 93.6 65.0 112.5 52 KODIAK 76.8 62.3 80.8 8 FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COOP PROGRAM...GO TO HTTP://PAFC.ARH.NOAA.GOV/COOP/COOP.PHP

Here is an Alaska weather blog...I thought you all might be interested: http://www.williwaw.com/ In particular, see today's post about the much above normal snowfall in various towns in Alaska: http://www.williwaw....aska-snow-race/

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK 500 AM AKST SAT MAR 3 2012 ..THIS WINTER IS NOW THE 3RD SNOWIEST ON RECORD FOR ANCHORAGE AS OF 3 AM SATURDAY MORNING THE SEASONAL SNOWFALL IN ANCHORAGE REACHED 121.8 INCHES. THIS PASSES THE 121.5 INCHES OF THE 1994-1995 SEASON THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY IN THIRD PLACE. THE 132.8 INCHES IN THE WINTER OF 1954-1955 IS THE MOST ON RECORD.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 512 AM AKST TUE JAN 31 2012 ...A COLD JANUARY FOR JUST ABOUT ALL OF NORTHERN ALASKA... ALL OF NORTHERN ALASKA WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A PERSISTENTLY COLD AIR MASS THIS JANUARY. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE RECORDS GET CALCULATED AT THE END OF THE MONTH SEVERAL COMMUNITIES WILL HAVE THEIR COLDEST JANUARY ON RECORD. THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL LIKELY OCCURRED ACROSS THE WESTERN INTERIOR WHERE THE SKY WAS MORE PERSISTENTLY CLEAR...WHICH ALLOWED TEMPERATURES TO REMAIN VERY LOW FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME. AT NOME...THIS JANUARY WILL LIKELY END UP AS THE COLDEST ON RECORD. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF -15.4 DEGREES THROUGH YESTERDAY MAKES THIS THE COLDEST JANUARY ON RECORD. TEMPERATURE RECORDS AT NOME DATE BACK TO 1907. AT KOTZEBUE...THIS JANUARY LOOKS TO END AS THE 2ND COLDEST SINCE 1929. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF -21.9 DEGREES IS THE COLDEST SINCE 1934 WHEN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS -27.7 DEGREES. CONTINUOUS TEMPERATURE RECORDS AT KOTZEBUE DATE BACK TO 1929. AT BARROW...THIS JANUARY IS EXPECTED TO END UP AS THE COLDEST SINCE 1990 WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF -20.1 DEGREES THROUGH YESTERDAY. THE MONTH WILL NOT END UP AS ONE OF THE TOP TEN COLDEST. CONTINUOUS RECORDS AT BARROW DATE BACK TO 1921. AT GALENA...THIS JANUARY WILL BE THE COLDEST ON RECORD. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF -33.5 DEGREES THROUGH YESTERDAY WILL EASILY ENSURE THAT THIS JANUARY SURPASS THE -31.4 DEGREES THAT WAS OBSERVED IN 1971. WEATHER RECORDS AT GALENA DATE BACK TO 1942. AT BETTLES...THIS JANUARY WILL END UP AS THE COLDEST ON RECORD. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF -35 DEGREES THROUGH YESTERDAY WILL SURPASS THE OLD RECORD OF -34 DEGREES ALSO IN 1971. THE RECORDS AT BETTLES DATE BACK TO 1951. AT FAIRBANKS...THIS JANUARY WILL LIKELY GO DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE 5TH COLDEST ON RECORD WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF -26.7 DEGREES THROUGH YESTERDAY. TEMPERATURE DATA AT FAIRBANKS DATES BACK TO 1904. IT IS LIKELY THAT MANY COMMUNITIES IN WESTERN ALASKA...AND ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WESTERN INTERIOR HAD THEIR COLDEST JANUARY ON RECORD. THERE WILL BE MORE DETAILS ON THE COLD JANUARY EARLY NEXT MONTH.

Unfortunately... PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 252 PM AKST MON JAN 30 2012 ...CLARIFICATION OF TEMPERATURES FROM JIM RIVER DOT CAMP... TEMPERATURES THIS PAST WEEKEND AT THE ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION JIM RIVER MAINTENANCE CAMP AT MILE 138 DALTON HIGHWAY...STATION JMTA2...HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS LOW AS 79 BELOW. THE TEMPERATURES ARE NOT CORRECT. THE WEATHER STATION IN USE AT THE JIM RIVER DOT CAMP IS A PERSONAL WEATHER STATION THAT IS NOT RATED FOR TEMPERATURE COLDER THAN 40 BELOW. THE UNREALISTICALLY LOW TEMPERATURES ARE BELIEVED TO BE A FUNCTION OF THE BATTERY FAILING AT VERY LOW TEMPERATURES. THERE ARE NO OFFICIAL...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STANDARD... TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS AT JIM RIVER DOT CAMP.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 434 AM AKST SUN JAN 29 2012 ..THE DEEP COLD CONTINUES ..2ND 50 BELOW AT FAIRBANKS ..POTENTIALLY ONE OF THE TOP TEN COLDEST WINTER MONTHS ON RECORD SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT THIS MORNING THE TEMPERATURE AT THE FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DROPPED TO 51 BELOW. THIS IS THE 2ND DAY IN A ROW WITH A TEMPERATURE OF 50 BELOW OR LOWER AT THE AIRPORT. YESTERDAY (SATURDAY) THE LOW OF 50 BELOW WAS THE FIRST TIME THE TEMPERATURE HAD DROPPED TO 50 BELOW AT THE AIRPORT SINCE JANUARY 27, 2006. THE HIGH YESTERDAY WAS ONLY 42 BELOW. THIS WAS THE COLDEST HIGH TEMPERATURE AT THE AIRPORT SINCE JANUARY 2, 2000. THE LAST TIME THERE WERE BACK TO BACK 50 BELOW DAYS AT THE AIRPORT WAS ON DECEMBER 30-31, 1999. SO FAR THIS JANUARY THERE HAVE BEEN 15 DAYS WITH A LOW TEMPERATURE OF 40 BELOW OR COLDER. THIS TIES WITH 1972 FOR THE MOST 40 BELOW DAYS IN JANUARY IN THE LAST 40 YEARS. THE ALL-TIME RECORD OF 21 SET BACK IN 1971 WILL REMAIN SAFE AS THERE ARE ONLY TWO MORE DAYS IN THE MONTH (AFTER TODAY...WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR IN THIS STATEMENT). THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE SO FAR THIS MONTH OF -25.8 DEGREES IS 18.5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. WE ARE ON PACE FOR THE COLDEST JANUARY SINCE 1971...AND EASILY ONE OF THE TOP TEN COLDEST ON RECORD. 1906...1934...AND 1971 ALL HAD AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF 30 BELOW OR COLDER AND WILL NOT BE TOPPED THIS MONTH. THE COLDEST JANUARY ON RECORD WAS 1906 WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF -36.4...HOWEVER...IN 1906 TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE TAKEN AT THE DOWNTOWN EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND HOURLY TEMPERATURE RECORD WERE NOT TAKEN. HAD HOURLY TEMPERATURE RECORDS BEEN TAKEN IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WOULD HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT WARMER. ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT THIS WILL END UP AS ONE OF THE COLDEST WINTER MONTHS ON RECORD AT FAIRBANKS. ONLY 4 TIMES DID THE MONTH OF DECEMBER (1917...1933...1956 AND 1964) HAVE AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE THAT WAS COLDER THAN THIS JANUARY (MONTH TO DATE). ONLY 6 TIMES IN JANUARY (1906...1909...1934...1966...1969...1971) WAS THE MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE ANY COLDER THAN THIS JANUARY. NEVER HAS THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY HAD AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE THAT WAS COLDER THAN JANUARY 2012. THERE IS THE CHANCE THAT THIS JANUARY WILL END JUST WITHIN THE TOP TEN COLDEST MONTHS EVER ON RECORD AT FAIRBANKS.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 249 PM AKST SUN JAN 29 2012 ...SECOND DAY OF WIDESPREAD 50 TO 65 BELOW TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE INTERIOR... TEMPERATURES PLUMMETED AGAIN OVERNIGHT SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY...BRINGING WIDESPREAD 50 TO 65 BELOW TEMPERATURES INTO THE INTERIOR OF ALASKA. HERE ARE VALUES FROM COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS AND WEATHER STATIONS ACROSS THE INTERIOR AS OF NOON SUNDAY: FORT YUKON CO-OP..............65 BELOW KANDIK RIVER CO-OP............64 BELOW FORT YUKON AIRPORT............62 BELOW* BETTLES.......................60 BELOW** HUSLIA........................60 BELOW MANLEY HOT SPRINGS............60 BELOW NORTH POLE/WOODSMOKE CO-OP....60 BELOW CHICKEN CO-OP.................59 BELOW GALENA AIRPORT................58 BELOW TANANA........................58 BELOW CIRCLE HOT SPRINGS CO-OP......58 BELOW DELTA 20 SE CO-OP.............58 BELOW COLDFOOT......................57 BELOW EAGLE CO-OP...................57 BELOW KALTAG........................56 BELOW GOLDSTREAM CREEK CO-OP........55 BELOW ARCTIC VILLAGE................54 BELOW NENANA........................54 BELOW SALCHA........................54 BELOW FAIRBANKS AIRPORT.............51 BELOW DELTA JUNCTION/FT GREELY......50 BELOW LAKE MINCHUMINA CO-OP.........50 BELOW MCGRATH.......................50 BELOW *TIED DAILY RECORD LOW OF 62 BELOW SET IN 1909 **EXCEEDS DAILY RECORD LOW OF 58 BELOW SET IN 1989

Yep...the Fort Yukon airport hit -62F. Incidentally, Fort Yukon holds the all-time AK high temp (100F).