Angel Fire recorded a low of 8 degrees on the morning of Oct. 17, the coldest temperature reported in the contiguous United States that day, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. Corralitos, California, had the day’s highest temperature at 99 degrees.
The figures are preliminary and based on reports received by midday Sunday. The National Centers for Environmental Information may adjust them after final quality checks.
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Angel Fire sits at more than 8,400 feet in the Moreno Valley of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The area often sees sharp overnight temperature drops, because cold air sinks into the valley on clear, calm nights. The reading was part of a broader early-season cold snap across the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains and the Upper Midwest.
After the cold morning, temperatures in Angel Fire rose into the upper 50s and lower 60s on Sunday under partly cloudy skies.
What's Next
Similar daytime temperatures were expected over the following days.
Why It Matters
An 8-degree reading in mid-October is an unusually early sign of winter in the southern Rockies.
Editor’s note: Updated Nov. 1, 2026. This story was revised to cite the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center forecast discussion it is based on. Learn how Brant.One reports in our editorial standards.
