What is causing such low temperatures for the area?
You’re likely wondering why it’s so cold outside. Well it is definitely COLD! In fact temperatures across the Northern Rockies were rivaling the coldest temps in North America this morning.
Temperatures in Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Jackson Hole were all colder than the observations in Alaska this morning. Now that says a lot!
A polar high is to blame for this blast of Arctic air. High pressure provides stable air with little cloud cover and typically clear skies. Combine that, with the fact that this high originated in the polar regions and moved south out of Canada, and the current snow-pack on the ground, and you have yourself the perfect ingredients for some very cold nights.
Temperatures across East Idaho and Western Wyoming dropped anywhere from -5 to -25 degrees with much colder wind chills. The coldest observation we found was just south of the Idaho border into Northern Utah where -43 degrees was recorded near Logan Summit close to US Highway 89. As cold as it was New Year’s Eve, get ready for an even colder night as we ring in the new year!
Please remember that these temperatures are something to take seriously as frostbite can set in, in as little as 10-15 min on exposed skin. So if spending time outdoors New Year’s Eve, make sure to bundle up from head to toe and limit your time outside. The cold will slowly fade away as we head into next week, where some of us will get above the freezing mark for the first time in weeks! Happy New Year!
