Extreme Cold January 15th, 2009

The Arctic high pressure that settled across the Dakotas Wednesday, 14 January 2009, allowed for some extremely low temperatures Thursday morning. Below is a list of records for this date:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD

1105 AM CST THU JAN 15 2009

...NUMEROUS RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES SET ACROSS THE AREA...

LISTED BELOW ARE CITIES WITH TODAY`S LOW...RECORD LOW AND

THE YEAR SET.

...CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...

                               TODAYS`S

CITY............TODAY`S LOW...RECORD LOW...YEAR SET

ABERDEEN...........-42...........-42.........2009

ABERDEEN CRN 35WNW.-34.............M............M

COLUMBIA 8N........-39...........-39.........2009

BOWDLE SDSU SITE...-35.............M............M

EAGLE BUTTE RAWS...-26.............M............M

FAULTON SDSU SITE..-25.............M............M

GETTYSBURG.........-25...........-32.........1972

HIGHMORE SDSU SITE.-26.............M............M

MARSHALL CO RAWS...-28 ............M............M

MILBANK............-32...........-32.........2009

MOBRDIGE...........-33...........-33.........2009

PIERRE.............-24...........-27.........1972

ROSCOE.............-32...........-37.........1972

POLLOCK............-47...........-47.........2009

REDFIELD...........-29...........-37.........1963

SISSETON...........-31...........-31.........2009

SOUTHSHORE SDSU....-34.............M............M

TURTON.............-38.............M............M

WAKPALA............-41.............M............M

WATERTOWN..........-34...........-35.........1972

WESTPORT...........-39.............M............M

WILMOT.............-26.............M............M

VICTOR.............-29...........-34.........1994

...WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

CITY............TODAY`S LOW...RECORD LOW...YEAR SET

BROWNS VALLEY......-32...........-32.........2009

ORTONVILLE SE RAWS.-38.............M............M

WHEATON............-30...........-32.........1917

 There are some of the lesser know meteorological effects of this extreme cold. 

First: Many of us found out that its difficult to measure how cold it actually got at our house.  Thankfully, there is a more accurate temperature sensor at the airport.

Satellite images can interpret these temperatures as cloud cover.  This is an image from this morning, what we call an IR Satellite Image.   Normally, the satellite "sees" heat coming off the earth which the forecaster can interpret as different types of cloud. Temperatures negative 30 and below are indicative of cirrus clouds which are typically characterized by thin, wisplike strands, often accompanied by tufts, and sometimes are so extensive that they are virtually indistinguishable from one another, forming a sheet of Cirrus called cirrostratus. Cirrus clouds are formed when water vapor freezes into ice crystals at altitudes above 8000 meters (26,000 ft).  Obviously it was clear outside, but not if you trusted the satellite image from this morning.

Have you ever heard of the rumor that hot water can freeze in mid-air when it is this cold?  The images below show several meteorologists proving the experiment possible.