Canaan Valley had lowest temperature in contiguous US Wednesday morning

[dognose]

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Even as much of the country is experiencing extreme cold, Canaan Valley, West Virginia had the coldest recorded temperature in the entire lower 48 states Wednesday morning.

Although all of West Virginia dropped to extremely cold Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, with a low of -28 degrees Fahrenheit, Canaan Valley was definitely the coldest. According to the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge’s weather station operator, the temperature in the valley would have rivaled West Virginia’s lowest recorded temperature ever if not for the wind.

West Virginia’s Canaan Valley is much colder than surrounding mountains; here’s why
Canaan Valley is a “frost hollow,” meaning is an uncommon geological feature that collects cold air, especially when the air is still. Virginia Tech instructor David Carroll, who maintains the weather station, said that the temperature plummeted in Canaan Valley because the wind unexpectedly “decoupled.” He said in a report that if the wind would have stayed calm all night, Canaan Valley could have seen record breaking lows near -40.

The coldest official temperature recorded in West Virginia was -37 in Lewisburg in 1917.

Strangely, Jan. 22 seems to be a habitually frigid day in Canaan Valley. On Jan. 22, 2024, Canaan Valley also recorded the lowest temperature in the contiguous states at -19, and on Jan 22. 2022, Canaan Valley saw the coldest temperature it has ever recorded at -31.

by: Sam Kirk
Posted: Jan 22, 2025 / 03:05 PM EST

SOURCE
https://www.wboy.com/news/tucker/ca...mperature-in-contiguous-us-wednesday-morning/

 

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[DizzyDigger]

Wow...-28F. That is some seriously dangerous cold..


Went into Cody, Wy. one January evening to pick up a load of drywall. I was pulling a 48' step-deck trailer, and to load they had you back the entire rig into a bay (indoors) so that your trailer deck was about a foot above ground level, and with maybe an inch or two of clearance on either side...a rather snug fit. In my case, because of the lower deck, it was ground level, meaning I could not reach the strap ratchets. The only way to strap the load down and tarp it would be outside the bldg...in the breezy -30F. weather.

Had just gone to work for the company, and since my tractor was being serviced, I went to pick this load up in in a spare tractor, meaning I had none of of my serious winter gear. There were some of insulated coveralls in the truck, and while they were probably good at 20F., they were not much help another fifty degrees colder. Leather work gloves didn't do diddly to keep my hands warm enough, so it was work five min. and spend the next five min. in the cab thawing out hands, ears, etc.. Every time it was painful as hell thawing out near frostbitten hands, and the ears were the worst, then go spend another five min. getting them frozen again while trying to throw straps and get them cinched down.

In that kind of cold and dry, a unit of unsecured drywall can "fan out", just like a deck of cards, there's a gut wrap in addition to the 4-5 straps over the top of the load.

Took me near an hour just to get the load secured, and since it delivered the next morning in Sheridan, I decided to save my fingers and just forego the tarps. Used a broom to sweep off some of the powdery snow that had collected on the load, and it all looked spotless when I pulled in their lot the next morning.

Don't ever want to be that cold again........ever.

 

[pepperj]

It's winter folks, gee, 6 months from now it'll be hot.
Oh the weather 😨 fear.
Just another nothing but a wonderful gift of nature.

 

[pepperj]

It's winter folks, gee, 6 months from now it'll be hot.
Oh the weather 😨 fear.
Just another nothing but a wonderful gift of nature.