On Saturday morning, October 17, the mountain town of Angel Fire registered a minimum temperature of 8 degrees Fahrenheit, which is equivalent to minus 13.3 degrees Celsius.
Angel Fire, New Mexico, recorded a preliminary low of 8°F (minus 13.3°C) on the morning of October 17, the coldest temperature reported in the contiguous United States that day, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. Corralitos, California, recorded the day’s highest temperature at 99°F. The figures remain preliminary pending final quality checks.
Located at over 8,400 feet in the Moreno Valley of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Angel Fire often experiences sharp nighttime temperature drops due to cold air settling in the valley. This reading was part of a broader early-season cold snap affecting the Rockies, Great Plains, and Upper Midwest. Temperatures rebounded to the upper 50s and lower 60s Fahrenheit the following day.
In its national summary, the Weather Prediction Center of the National Weather Service stated that Angel Fire’s temperature of 8°F was the lowest recorded in the contiguous United States. Corralitos, in California, had the highest temperature, reaching 99 degrees Fahrenheit.
The figures are preliminary and are based on the reports which were received by late Saturday evening; the National Centers for Environmental Information may make adjustments to them after carrying out their final quality checks.
Angel Fire is located in the Moreno Valley of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at an elevation of over 8,400 feet. The region frequently experiences rapid drops in temperature during the night since the cold air sinks into the valley when the skies are clear and the winds are calm, causing the temperatures to be considerably lower than in adjacent areas.
Weather observations taken at Angel Fire, including those from the airport station, also indicated that the overnight temperatures were in the single digits.
Chris Nunley pointed out the reading on Saturday, observing that the northern New Mexico community had a lower temperature than any other place in the contiguous United States.
The freezing weather was part of a more general early-season drop in temperature that caused some of the lowest autumn temperatures yet to be recorded in parts of the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, and the Upper Midwest.
Because of its high altitude and the fact that it is situated in a valley, Angel Fire frequently experiences some of the coldest mornings in the area. Yet a temperature of 8°F in mid-October is an unusually early indication of winter in the southern Rockies.
After it registered the record low, the temperatures in Angel Fire on Sunday reached the upper 50s and lower 60s Fahrenheit with only partly cloudy skies. Similar daytime temperatures were anticipated over the following days.
