It’s A Cold Sink

[Wandering Sagebrush]

The morning low here at Fort Sagebrush was a brisk 3° or 4°, depending on which thermometer you’re looking at. One of my tasks this morning was to take Ketzel the Wonder Muppet in to the vet to have her teeth cleaned, and as we descended to Hidhway 30, I noticed the thermometer begin to drop. We are at 3900’ elevation, and the valley floor is roughly 3400’.

In the 7 or 8 mile descent, the temperature dropped from 4° to -10° when we hit the highway. That is what I call a cold sink. Oregon’s coldest recorded temperature occurred at the little town of Seneca, south of John Day, and another cold sink. On February 10, 1933, that low was an astonishing -54°.

 

[ski3pin]

And here I thought you might be heading to the local hardware store that sells warm sinks.

 

[goinoregon]

And here I thought you might be heading to the local hardware store that sells warm sinks.

silent mode - u still got it !

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

BRRRRRRRRRRRR
“
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Boise ID
137 PM MST Tue Feb 11 2025

IDZ012-014-016-029-033-ORZ061>064-121315-
/O.NEW.KBOI.WS.A.0002.250213T1200Z-250214T1800Z/
Lower Treasure Valley ID-Upper Treasure Valley-Western Magic
Valley-Owyhee Mountains-Upper Weiser River-Harney County-Baker
County-Malheur County-Oregon Lower Treasure Valley-
Including the cities of Cambridge, Buchanan, Burns, Boise,
Venator, Crane, Silver City, Caldwell, Nyssa, Nampa, Ontario, New
Princeton, Dunnean, Diamond, Baker, Malheur City, Jerome,
Midvale, Council, Mountain Home, and Twin Falls
137 PM MST Tue Feb 11 2025 /1237 PM PST Tue Feb 11 2025/

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...

* WHAT...Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations between 3 and
6 inches possible in the valleys and 6 to 12 inches possible in
the mountains. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph causing areas of
blowing and drifting snow.

* WHERE...Portions of south central, southwest, and west central
Idaho and northeast and southeast Oregon.

* WHEN...From late Wednesday night through Friday morning.”

* IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will
likely become slick and hazardous. Travel could be very difficult.
The hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday morning and
evening commutes.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation.”

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

The morning low here at Fort Sagebrush was a brisk 3° or 4°, depending on which thermometer you’re looking at. One of my tasks this morning was to take Ketzel the Wonder Muppet in to the vet to have her teeth cleaned, and as we descended to Hidhway 30, I noticed the thermometer begin to drop. We are at 3900’ elevation, and the valley floor is roughly 3400’.

In the 7 or 8 mile descent, the temperature dropped from 4° to -10° when we hit the highway. That is what I call a cold sink. Oregon’s coldest recorded temperature occurred at the little town of Seneca, south of John Day, and another cold sink. On February 10, 1933, that low was an astonishing -54°.

That's down right cold.BRRRRR.
Frank

 

[Occidental]

When I think of cold sinks I think of two places in the west. Peter Sinks, Utah (only forecasted for -7 tonight, pretty warm for there) and Stanley, Idaho, which is going to be about -22 tonight. They commonly register the coldest temps in the winter of any place I know of in the (US) west. Both are cold sinks. I'd love to learn about a few more common cold sinks.

 

[rubberlegs]

We've been in an extended cold sink in NW Washington state since (it seems) New Years. This morning got down to 22. I can hear y'all saying "why, that's nothing!"

 

[ski3pin]

When I think of cold sinks I think of two places in the west. Peter Sinks, Utah (only forecasted for -7 tonight, pretty warm for there) and Stanley, Idaho, which is going to be about -22 tonight. They commonly register the coldest temps in the winter of any place I know of in the (US) west. Both are cold sinks. I'd love to learn about a few more common cold sinks.

Truckee, California, a classic cold sink.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

It’s -3° here at the Fort, and a bitter -17° at the Baker City Airpot. Seneca is -19°.

 

[Occidental]

-32 in Stanley, just up the drainage it's only -10 at Horton Peak currently.

 

[Sagebrush Reconnoiterer]

Winnemucca, Nevada and immediate vicinity can be a cold sink. The coldest recorded is -37° in 1990, with two other sub -30° temps since records began in 1878. Lots of sub -20° throughout the years and nearly all years sub 0° temps.

Since I lived here I moved here (July, 2008), it's been as low as an official -26° in 2013. Friends living just south of town, in Grass Valley, as well as I, recorded -29° that morning.

The recording station is at the airport and about six miles north of me, and I've matched the airport and sometimes just above or below. Currently, I'm recording -1°, the airport has recorded a low of +1°.

And records show that between 2014 and 2025, lowest temps have only fallen below zero 5 times, whereas nearly every year previous was always sub zero. Glad there aren't any glaciers melting near my house ...

The coldest I've ever experienced was -42° in 1986 when I lived in Newcastle, Wyoming. That's what the radio was reporting when I was driving to work before dawn. My car had a plug in engine heater, but the tires were rock hard, the shocks seized from the cold and the transmission reluctant to shift for a few miles.

 

[Defulmmt]

When I think of cold sinks I think of two places in the west. Peter Sinks, Utah (only forecasted for -7 tonight, pretty warm for there) and Stanley, Idaho, which is going to be about -22 tonight. They commonly register the coldest temps in the winter of any place I know of in the (US) west. Both are cold sinks. I'd love to learn about a few more common cold sinks.

Ulm, Mt. Yesterday morning-39.04F on the Agrimet weather station about 1/2 mile from our place. I thought that can’t be right so I checked the thermometer on the back porch (sheltered from the night sky) and it read -36F. I suspect our thermometer was picking up a bit of radiant heat gain from the house. Temperature at weather service station on Gore Hill was -22F, several miles away and 350’ higher.

 

[craig333]

Every time I think about moving out of Ca, I see these posts and think I'll just stick around a bit longer.

 

[goinoregon]

Ulm, Mt. Yesterday morning-39.04F on the Agrimet weather station about 1/2 mile from our place. I thought that can’t be right so I checked the thermometer on the back porch (sheltered from the night sky) and it read -36F. I suspect our thermometer was picking up a bit of radiant heat gain from the house. Temperature at weather service station on Gore Hill was -22F, several miles away and 350’ higher.

ooph... stay warm bud.

 

[AWG_Pics]

Dry Lake is a uninhabited sunken area about a mile wide on the road between Brigham City and Logan, Utah. It is oddly low and tucked in behind the Wellsville Mountains. I drove this road in the winter many times in my teens and later in my thirties. The cold air sinks in the winter and just sits there with no outlet.

When ambient was -10 or -20 F in Brigham or Logan, Dry Lake was always much colder.

Very Very cold.

 

[JaSAn]

We have our own cold sink: Embarrass, MN. Usually in competition with West Yellowstone for coldest spot in the nation. I think they put the thermometer in the lowest spot in town.

It's not the cold its the wind chill.
In my younger years I've been out in -40º in a tee shirt; your body creates a microclimate next to your skin. It gets dangerous when the breeze strips away that microclimate.

 

[OutToLunch]

Back in the eighties, I lived in the northern Adirondacks outside of Saranac. Lowest temperature on the thermometer at the house was -47 F. One of my fondest memories of living there was taking the dogs out for a walk late at night before bed. When there was no breeze, I’d stop and listen for the pops and cracks from the trees shifting in the cold.

One morning, I went out to warm up my Chevy Luv (manual). It was only in the -30 F’s. As always when it was that cold, the engine started really rough shaking the whole vehicle. After a minute or so, it was running smoothly so I made sure it was in neutral, got out and was walking back to the house when I heard the truck backing up slowly into the road. Transmission had jelled. I do miss the cold, seriously. Everyone up there became very friendly and helpful whenever it was that cold.