Antero Reservoir hits -48 degrees for second day in a row, the coldest temperature in the lower 48

DENVER – For the second day in a row, Antero Reservoir in Park County recorded the lowest temperature in the contiguous United States – dropping down to -48 degrees Fahrenheit.

It was the second day in a row Antero Reservoir hit 48 below zero, though extremely cold temperatures are not abnormal for the high-plains reservoir, which sits at nearly 9,000 feet in elevation and is covered in snow for much of the cooler months. Monday’s high was 0 degrees.

Tuesday’s U.S. low of -48 was 135 degrees lower than the U.S. high temperature of 87 degrees at both Big Cypress Reservation and Florida Panther Wildlife Refuge in Florida.

Antero Reservoir wasn’t the only place in Colorado that was quite cold Tuesday morning.

A location just southeast of Coalmont fell to -37, Cowdrey fell to -34, Fraser Flats was at -25, as was a location just northwest of Kremmling. Several other locations – near Walden, Granby and Silverthorne – all were at least 16 degrees below zero.

But even at -48, Antero Reservoir still fell quite short of the record low temperature for Colorado of -61 degrees, set in Maybell in February 1985.