When do the Coldest Temperatures Occur?
2014-11-19 19:43:03.000 – Michael Dorfman, Weather Observer/IT Specialist
After I was done with my shift today, I stumbled upon a really interesting graphic. Posted by the National Climatic Data Center, this map shows the dates of the record lows from 1981-2010 across the United States. It is immediately evident that the East Coast gets cold temperatures much later in the year than the plains out west. Although there are many reasons for this, one of the more prominent contributing factors has to do with the albedo, or reflectance, of the ground. The Rocky Mountains and the northeast tend to get heavier snowfalls, and the minimum temperature tends to trend later, when there is a more solid snow cover to reflect the sun’s energy. The plains out west tend to have the coldest temperatures earlier in the year, when nights are the longest and there is the least amount of solar radiation hitting the earth.
Source: National Climatic Data Center (http://ncdc.noaa.gov/news/when-to-expect-coldest-day-of-year)
Michael Dorfman, Weather Observer/IT Specialist
My Fear of Weather Became a Love of Meteorology
My Fear of Weather Became a Love of Meteorology By Kaitlin Farrell Hello! My name is Kaitlin Farrell. I am one of the fall summit interns here at Mount Washington Observatory. I recently graduated
Ascending with High Winds
Ascending with High Winds By Alonso Lopez Hi! I am Alonso Lopez, one of four interns at Mount Washington Observatory from August to December, 2026. I was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth
26th Annual Seek the Peak Recap
26th Annual Seek the Peak Recap By Drew Bush Members of the "Peak Potential" team gather at Pinkham Notch before hiking Mount Washington for the 26th Annual Seek the Peak. View more images. We’ve had
