Peter Sinks
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Short description|Natural sinkhole in Utah, United States}}
{{Infobox valley
|name=Peter Sinks
|map_image={{Infobox mapframe |coord= {{Coord|41|54|45|N|111|31|7|W}}}}
|coordinates={{Coord|41|54|45|N|111|31|7|W|display=inline,title}}
|depth_ft=400 - 500
|elevation_ft=8117
|elevation_ref={{cite gnis |1444297 |Peter Sinks |January 4, 2024 |December 31, 1979}}
|country=United States
|state=Utah
|topo=Tony Grove Creek
|district_type=County
|district=Cache
}}
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 {{convert|8100|ft|m}} above sea level, in the Bear River Mountains about {{Convert|20|mi|km}} northeast of Logan, within the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Due to temperature inversions that trap cold nighttime air, it routinely produces the lowest temperatures in the contiguous United States. 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.
Geology
Peter Sinks lies within the Bear River Mountains of Northern Utah. Composed primarily of limestone and dolomite, water flowing through the groundwater system of the mountain range erodes portions of the material to create caverns by dissolving material within the carbonate rocks.{{Cite web |last=Greene |first=Jack |date=2019-07-08 |title=The Bear River Range and River |url=https://wildaboututah.org/bear-river-range/ |access-date=2024-01-04 |website=Wild About Utah |language=en-US}} Once these voids reach a large enough size, the ground above will collapse into them to create sinkholes and other karst topography.
Peter Sinks is composed of two depressions formed this way. Three other sinkholes, South, Middle, and North, are located just east of Peter Sinks with U.S. Route 89 running through the North Sink. Erosion of these sinks was enhanced by the presence of faulting.{{Cite web |title=Glad You Asked: Where is the Coolest Spot in Utah? |url=https://geology.utah.gov/map-pub/survey-notes/glad-you-asked/coolest-spot-in-utah/ |access-date=2024-01-04 |website=Utah Geological Survey |language=en-US}} Holocene seismicity and faulting in the Bear River Range is associated with the migration of the Yellowstone hotspot located under Yellowstone National Park, which lies to the north of the region, mainly in Wyoming.{{Cite web |title=Yellowstone and Snake River Plain |url=https://www.isu.edu/digitalgeologyidaho/yellowstone-srp/ |access-date=2024-01-04 |website=www.isu.edu |language=en}}
Climate
Peter Sinks, sitting at an elevation of {{convert|8,164|feet|m}}, is a natural limestone sinkhole (a doline) approximately {{Convert|1/2|mi|sp=us|spell=in}} wide and has no valley outlet to drain water or air. It is one of the coldest spots in the contiguous United States.
During calm, cloudless nights, this high-elevation basin dissipates daytime heat rapidly into the atmosphere. Cool, dense air can then slide downwards towards the basin floor in a process known as cold-air pooling. Consequently, extremely low temperatures can occur, particularly in the wake of arctic fronts in winter. According to the Köppen climate classification, it has a continental subalpine climate,{{cite journal|title=Present and future Köppen-Geiger climate classification maps at 1-km resolution | journal= Scientific Data| volume=5 | pages=180214 |doi=10.1038/sdata.2018.214| pmid=30375988 | pmc=6207062 | year=2018 | last1=Beck | first1=Hylke E. | last2=Zimmermann | first2=Niklaus E. | last3=McVicar | first3=Tim R. | last4=Vergopolan | first4=Noemi | last5=Berg | first5=Alexis|author6-link=Eric Franklin Wood | last6=Wood | first6=Eric Franklin| bibcode=2018NatSD...580214B }} abbreviated Dsc, though the exceptional attributes of this climate preclude one of the hallmark features of the climate type, the boreal forest, which, as Köppen based the system around vegetation distribution, indicates that Peter Sinks stretches the limits of the system.
{{Weather box
|location = Peter Sinks, Utah, 2010–February 2015 average highs and lows, 2010–October 2019 average records, extremes 1985-present
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 49
|Feb record high F = 46
|Mar record high F = 54
|Apr record high F = 66
|May record high F = 70
|Jun record high F = 83
|Jul record high F = 83
|Aug record high F = 82
|Sep record high F = 77
|Oct record high F = 75
|Nov record high F = 62
|Dec record high F = 45
|year record high F =
|Jan avg record high F = 41
|Feb avg record high F = 41
|Mar avg record high F = 49
|Apr avg record high F = 58
|May avg record high F = 65
|Jun avg record high F = 78
|Jul avg record high F = 82
|Aug avg record high F = 81
|Sep avg record high F = 76
|Oct avg record high F = 65
|Nov avg record high F = 51
|Dec avg record high F = 43
|year avg record high F = 83
|Jan avg record low F = -40
|Feb avg record low F = -35
|Mar avg record low F = -31
|Apr avg record low F = -16
|May avg record low F = -1
|Jun avg record low F = 18
|Jul avg record low F = 23
|Aug avg record low F = 20
|Sep avg record low F = 12
|Oct avg record low F = -6
|Nov avg record low F = -26
|Dec avg record low F = -43
|year avg record low F= -47
|Jan record low F = -66
|Feb record low F = -69.3
|Mar record low F = -52
|Apr record low F = -41
|May record low F = -19
|Jun record low F = 3
|Jul record low F = 13
|Aug record low F = 7
|Sep record low F = -10
|Oct record low F = -45
|Nov record low F = -47
|Dec record low F = -57
|year record low F=
|Jan high F = 28.7
|Feb high F = 29.1
|Mar high F = 37.5
|Apr high F = 41.9
|May high F = 50.5
|Jun high F = 62.6
|Jul high F = 73.8
|Aug high F = 71.7
|Sep high F = 63.9
|Oct high F = 49.6
|Nov high F = 34.4
|Dec high F = 27.0
|Jan mean F = 12.3
|Feb mean F = 11.4
|Mar mean F = 20.4
|Apr mean F = 25.9
|May mean F = 36.1
|Jun mean F = 45.5
|Jul mean F = 54.8
|Aug mean F = 53.2
|Sep mean F = 45.4
|Oct mean F = 34.6
|Nov mean F = 20.1
|Dec mean F = 11.5
|year high F =
|Jan low F = -4.1
|Feb low F = -6.2
|Mar low F = 3.3
|Apr low F = 9.9
|May low F = 21.7
|Jun low F = 28.4
|Jul low F = 35.9
|Aug low F = 34.8
|Sep low F = 26.9
|Oct low F = 19.7
|Nov low F = 5.8
|Dec low F = -3.9
|year low F =
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 5.53
|Feb precipitation inch = 4.97
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.57
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.98
|May precipitation inch = 3.56
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.74
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.91
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.11
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.85
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.94
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.21
|Dec precipitation inch = 5.21
|year precipitation inch = 40.58
|source 1 = Oregon State University,{{cite web|url=https://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/ |title=Time Series Values for Individual Locations |publisher=Oregon State University |access-date=January 4, 2024}} The Weather Forums,{{cite web |url= http://theweatherforums.com/index.php/topic/833-peter-sinks-ut-climate/ |title= Peter Sinks, UT Climate |date= March 2, 2015 |website= The Weather Forums |access-date= August 14, 2020 }} The Washington Post (October record low){{cite web |last1 = Cappucchi |first1 = Matthew |last2 = Samenow |first2= John |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/10/30/exceptional-october-cold-sets-records-intermountain-west-while-oozing-eastward/ |title= Exceptional October cold sets records in Intermountain West, while oozing eastward |date= October 30, 2019 |website= The Washington Post |access-date= August 28, 2020 }}}}
= Extreme cold =
On February 1, 1985, a temperature of {{convert|-69.3|°F|°C}} was recorded there, the lowest recorded temperature in Utah, and the second-lowest temperature ever recorded in the contiguous United States.{{Cite web |title=Peter Sinks |url=https://climate.usu.edu/PeterSinks/}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20021117091610/https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/extremes/2002/january/januaryext2002.html NCDC: January 2002 City/State Extremes (Wayback Archive)] The lowest recorded temperature was {{convert|−69.7|°F|°C|1|disp=or}} at Rogers Pass, Montana, in 1954.
Peter Sinks' meteorological significance was discovered by Utah State University student Zane Stephens in 1983.{{citation |last=Bauman |first=Joe |title=Think it's cold here? Check out Sinks area |date=February 18, 2006 |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/635185421/Think-its-cold-here-Check-out-Sinks-area.html |newspaper=Deseret News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928210334/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/635185421/Think-its-cold-here-Check-out-Sinks-area.html |archive-date=September 28, 2018}} 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 {{convert|-69.3|°F|°C}}, while another nearby valley, Middle Sink, located {{convert|3|mi}} to the north-east, dropped to {{convert|-64|°F|°C|1}}. Stephens hiked into Middle Sink along with Burns Israelsen 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, and again on January 30, 2023, the temperature dropped to {{convert|-62|°F|°C|1}} at Middle Sink. Stephens and Wright's main study is the change in temperature through the inversion at these sites. These valleys act like a dam trapping cold air, with the coldest of the air settling 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 differ by as much as {{convert|70|°F-change}}.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{ref begin|2}}
- {{citation |last= Kirby |first= Robert |title= Trail goes cold at Peter Sinks |url= http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/lifestyle/51193013-80/degrees-cold-kirby-peter.html.csp |newspaper= Salt Lake Tribune |date= February 7, 2011 }}
- {{citation |url= http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14957655 |newspaper= Salt Lake Tribune |title= Utah's extreme weather star had a workout this winter |last= Fahys |first= Judy |date= April 26, 2010 }}
- {{citation |last= Burgess |first= Kim |title= Logan Canyon sets icy record |url= http://news.hjnews.com/news/article_fdb8b652-46be-11df-bf45-001cc4c002e0.html |newspaper= The Herald Journal |date= April 13, 2010 }}
- {{citation |last= Edwards |first= Alan |title= USU student seeks out bone-chilling cold |url= http://www.deseretnews.com/article/975701/USU-student-seeks-out-bone-chilling-cold.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121023193638/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/975701/USU-student-seeks-out-bone-chilling-cold.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= October 23, 2012 |newspaper= Deseret News |date= April 10, 2003}}
- {{citation |last= Palmer |first= Douglas |title= U.S. 89 takes mighty cold turn at Peter Sinks |url= http://www.deseretnews.com/article/271905/US-89-TAKES-MIGHTY-COLD-TURN-AT-PETER-SINKS.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121023193648/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/271905/US-89-TAKES-MIGHTY-COLD-TURN-AT-PETER-SINKS.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= October 23, 2012 |newspaper= Deseret News |date= January 25, 1993 }}
- {{citation |last= Arave |first= Lynn |title= Peter Sinks: Utah's coldest spot |url= http://www.deseretnews.com/article/116318/PETER-SINKS-UTAHS-COLDEST-SPOT.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121023193722/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/116318/PETER-SINKS-UTAHS-COLDEST-SPOT.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= October 23, 2012 |newspaper= Deseret News |date= August 8, 1990 }}
- {{citation |last= Arave |first= Lynn |title= A summer visit to the kingpin of sinks |url= http://www.deseretnews.com/article/116337/A-SUMMER-VISIT-TO-THE-KINGPIN-OF-SINKS.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121023193739/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/116337/A-SUMMER-VISIT-TO-THE-KINGPIN-OF-SINKS.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= October 23, 2012 |newspaper= Deseret News |date= August 8, 1990 }}
- {{citation |last1= Clements |first1= Craig B. |first2= C. David |last2= Whiteman |first3= John D. |last3= Horel |date=June 2003 |title= Cold-Air-Pool Structure and Evolution in a Mountain Basin: Peter Sinks, Utah |journal= Journal of Applied Meteorology |volume= 42 |issue= 6 |pages= 752–768 |doi=10.1175/1520-0450(2003)042<0752:CSAEIA>2.0.CO;2|url= http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2bb6/1a70cf416a2c75953a5557ea792aa2a8d66d.pdf |doi-access= free }}
- {{citation |last1= Massey |first1= Peter |last2= Wilson |first2= Jeanne |title= Utah Trails Northern Region |year= 2007 |publisher= Adler Publishing |contribution= Northern Region Trail #7: Peter Sinks Trail
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=dJbM2clhLH0C&pg=PA50 |pages= 50–54 |isbn= 978-1-930193-30-7 }}
{{ref end}}
External links
- [https://climate.usu.edu/PeterSinks/index.php Peter Sinks - Utah Climate Center] - real-time temperature monitoring of Peter Sinks and rim temperatures. Maintained by the Utah Climate Center
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120328111138/http://www.inscc.utah.edu/~u0035056/cbclemen/PSEX.html Peter Sinks Temperature Monitoring Project] - current project by Utah State University for onsite remote automated monitoring at Peter Sinks
- [http://www.inscc.utah.edu/~u0035056/cbclemen/PSEX.html Peter Sinks Field Experiment] by John Horel in 1999 - includes map and photos
- {{cite web |title= The Coldest Places on Earth |url= http://www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/comment.html?entrynum=12 |date= January 19, 2011|publisher= Wunderground.com }}
Category:Protected areas of Cache County, Utah