In the Uintah Basin we get inversions sometimes when the cold air gets trapped in the valley and it stays calm and gets cold until a storm system clears it out. One winter in the late 80's in Vernal Utah it got down to -35. That winter the inversion set in and it was foggy and miserably cold. We didn't see the sun in the valley for a month and it stayed below zero with the coldest nights -20 to -35. People were struggling to get theirs cars started. people were using electric blankets, heat lamps, space heaters or whatever to keep the oil warm enough to start their car. It was depressing. The only cool thing was how long all the ice crystals got on all the vegetation - that was very pretty. Luckily I could get in my patrol truck and go 20 or 30 minutes up north or south and get above the inversion. When I got above the clouds it was bright and sunny and got up into the 30s. Driving back home the top of the clouds almost looked like a white ocean. When you dropped into it you could immediatly feel the temperature drop and smell the pollution and wood smoke.

I would not want to live in a place where -30's and below is the norm! This year we've only got a couple skiffs of snow that melted right off. The coldest night so far was probably about 15. It's been a very mild enjoyable winter and I haven't missed moving snow. I just hope we get more in the mountains and some good spring rains.

Almost every year it gets to at least -60. Keep on eye on North Pole temps you’ll see what I mean.

We live in a valley right next to the Chena River and it is known locally as the coldest spot around Fairbanks. Last year we got down to -65

It’s not good for walking a trapline

I think everyone needs to calibrate. Are we talking C or F?

-58 and a very light breeze north of Thompson. The bucket & digger truck just sit, gotta use the spurs. The trick is to freeze your fingers up to the knuckles but don’t climb down to warm up. Stop and clap/swing your arms around until they start to thaw, then after that incredible pain comes that you can feel in your heart. But once they’re thawed, you’re good all day. If you go in to eat lunch, you start the freezing process over again. The guys today stop and go down every 5 or 10 minutes and nothing gets done. In a power outage, it’s gotta get done, can’t wait till it warms up, that’s when us “old” dummies get the call…lol

North Pole, AK - January 1989