Peter's Sink
Encyclopedia
Peter Sinks is a natural sinkhole
in northern Utah
that is one of the coldest places in the contiguous United States
.
Peter Sinks is located 8100 feet (2,468.9 m) above sea level
, in the Bear River Mountains
east of Logan
, within the Wasatch-Cache National Forest
. Due to temperature inversions that trap cold nocturnal air, it routinely produces the coldest temperatures in the state. Even in the summer, the bottom of the sinkhole rarely goes four consecutive days without freezing. It is so cold near the bottom of the hole that trees are unable to grow.
On 1 February 1985, a temperature of -69.3 °F was recorded there, the lowest recorded temperature in Utah, and the second coldest temperature ever recorded in the continental United States.
Peter Sinks was discovered meteorologically by Utah State University
student Zane Stephens in 1983. Stephens, along with the Utah Climate Center, placed measuring instruments in the valley in the winter of 1984. On February 1, 1985, Peter Sinks dropped to -69.3 °F, while another nearby valley, Middle Sink, located 3 miles to the north-east, dropped to -64 °F. Stephens hiked into Middle Sink to record the temperature personally. He then flew into Peter Sinks in a KUTV television station helicopter with broadcasting Meteorologist Mark Eubank
. State Climatologist Gayle Bingham also traveled to the area and confirmed the temperature. The alcohol thermometer
being used was retrieved and sent to the Bureau of Standards
in Washington, D.C.
to confirm the temperature.
Since 1985, Peter Sinks and Middle Sink have been studied extensively by Stephens and Tim Wright with the use of Campbell Scientific weather equipment. On January 29, 2002, the temperature dropped to -62 °F at Middle Sink. Stephens and Wright's main study is the change in temperature through the inversion at these sites. The valleys act like a dam trapping cold air. The coldest of the air settles to the bottom of the valley. Stephens and Wright have found that temperatures between the cold air lake and the warmer air above the valley can be different by as much as 70°F (39°C).
Sinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...
in northern Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
that is one of the coldest places in the contiguous United States
Contiguous United States
The contiguous United States are the 48 U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia....
.
Peter Sinks is located 8100 feet (2,468.9 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, in the Bear River Mountains
Bear River Mountains
The Bear River Mountains are located in northeastern Utah and southeastern Idaho. One of the mountains' sinks recorded the lowest temperature in Utah on February 1, 1985, at , which is also the second-lowest temperature ever recorded in the contiguous United States. U.S...
east of Logan
Logan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
, within the Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest is a United States National Forest located primarily in northern Utah , with smaller parts extending into southeastern Idaho and southwestern Wyoming . The name is from the Ute word Wasatch for a low place in high mountains, and the French word Cache meaning to...
. Due to temperature inversions that trap cold nocturnal air, it routinely produces the coldest temperatures in the state. Even in the summer, the bottom of the sinkhole rarely goes four consecutive days without freezing. It is so cold near the bottom of the hole that trees are unable to grow.
On 1 February 1985, a temperature of -69.3 °F was recorded there, the lowest recorded temperature in Utah, and the second coldest temperature ever recorded in the continental United States.
Peter Sinks was discovered meteorologically by Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
student Zane Stephens in 1983. Stephens, along with the Utah Climate Center, placed measuring instruments in the valley in the winter of 1984. On February 1, 1985, Peter Sinks dropped to -69.3 °F, while another nearby valley, Middle Sink, located 3 miles to the north-east, dropped to -64 °F. Stephens hiked into Middle Sink to record the temperature personally. He then flew into Peter Sinks in a KUTV television station helicopter with broadcasting Meteorologist Mark Eubank
Mark Eubank
Mark Eubank is a retired Salt Lake City, Utah television broadcasting meteorologist. He most recently worked for KSL-TV channel 5 Television. Eubank joined the KSL news team in 1990 as their chief meteorologist...
. State Climatologist Gayle Bingham also traveled to the area and confirmed the temperature. The alcohol thermometer
Alcohol thermometer
The Alcohol thermometer or spirit thermometer is an alternative to the mercury-in-glass thermometer, and functions in a similar way. But unlike mercury-in-glass thermometer, the contents of an alcohol thermometer are less toxic and will evaporate away fairly quickly...
being used was retrieved and sent to the Bureau of Standards
Standards organization
A standards organization, standards body, standards developing organization , or standards setting organization is any organization whose primary activities are developing, coordinating, promulgating, revising, amending, reissuing, interpreting, or otherwise producing technical standards that are...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to confirm the temperature.
Since 1985, Peter Sinks and Middle Sink have been studied extensively by Stephens and Tim Wright with the use of Campbell Scientific weather equipment. On January 29, 2002, the temperature dropped to -62 °F at Middle Sink. Stephens and Wright's main study is the change in temperature through the inversion at these sites. The valleys act like a dam trapping cold air. The coldest of the air settles to the bottom of the valley. Stephens and Wright have found that temperatures between the cold air lake and the warmer air above the valley can be different by as much as 70°F (39°C).
External links
- Peter Sinks Temperature Monitoring Project - current project by Utah State University for onsite remote automated monitoring at Peter Sinks
- Peter Sinks Field Experiment by John Horel in 1999 - includes map and photos