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Colorado Weather: Antero Reservoir Falls To -48 Degrees 2 Days In A Row

DENVER (CBS4) - The last day of 2019 started off with widespread sub-zero temperatures across most of Colorado's high country. For the second day in a row Antero Reservoir fell to -48 degrees.

Antero Reservoir
Antero Reservoir (credit: Denver Water)

Other lows for Dec. 31 include the following...

-37°F (2.8 miles SE of Coalmont)
-34°F (Cowdrey)
-28°F (Gunnison)
-26°F (Alamosa)
-25°F (US 40 at Fraser Flats)
-25°F (6 miles NW of Kremmling)
-24°F (8.2 miles S of Walden)
-24°F (6.4 miles NE of Kremmling)
-21°F (1.2 miles N of Granby)
-18°F (Crested Butte South)
-16°F (0.7 miles W of Highway 9 in Silverthorne)
-15°F (US 40 at Red Dirt Hill)

According to the National Weather Service in Boulder this part of Park County gets so cold at night because it has clear skies, light winds and extensive snow cover. The combination of these three things leads to strong radiational cooling, especially during the winter, when days are short and the sun angle is low.

Temperature records for Antero Reservoir date back to the 1960s and history shows that -40 degree readings are quite common. There have even been a handful of days colder than -50 degrees. The all-time record low at Antero is -54 degrees.

The following recent photos taken at the reservoir were shared by Denver Water and show ice fishing there:

ice fishing antero reservoir (3)
(credit: Denver Water)
ice fishing antero reservoir (2)
(credit: Denver Water)
ice fishing antero reservoir (1)
(credit: Denver Water)
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