Temperatures
Utah's temperatures
vary greatly with changing altitude and latitude. The mountains
and elevated valleys have the cooler climates, while lower areas
of the state have higher temperatures.
Generally, there is about a 5F.,
decrease in temperature for each 1,000 feet increase in altitude,
and approximately one degree decrease in average yearly temperature
for each one degree of increase in latitude. Thus, equivalent areas
in the southern counties of the state generally experience average
annual temperatures two to four degrees F., warmer than those at
similar altitude in the extreme northern part of the state. However,
there are several exceptions to these generalities, because strong
temperature inversions periodically affect many Utah valleys and
humidities often differ significantly from one season to another.
Temperatures above 100F.,
occur during most summer seasons in many of the lower valleys of
the state. The low humidity makes these high temperatures and hot
sunshine more bearable in Utah than in the more humid regions of
the country. The low humidity also enables evaporative "swamp"
coolers to operate very efficiently.
The highest official maximum temperature ever recorded in Utah was
117F, observed on July
5, 1985, at St. George in southwestern Utah. The warmest thermometer
reading ever for Salt Lake City was 107F.,
on July 26, 1960.
Sub-zero temperatures occur during most winters in all but the warmest
(or southernmost) areas of the state. However, prolonged periods
of extremely cold weather are infrequent. Most climatic data show
that January is generally the coldest month of the year.
The lowest official minimum temperature ever recorded in Utah was
-69F., recorded on February
1, 1985, in uninhabited Peter Sinks at the top of Logan Canyon.
The lowest temperature ever recorded in an inhabited area of Utah
was -50F., observed on
February 6, 1899, at Woodruff.
Much
of the information for this section originally appeared in the copyrighted
book Utah's Weather and Climate, edited by Dan Pope and Clayton
Brough, in 1996. UCCW Directors have received permission from the
copyright owners of this book to reproduce such information on its
website and to revise and updated it where appropriate.
