The summit of Mt. Washington, New Hampshire, fell to a frigid -47° on Friday night, the coldest temperature at the Mount Washington Observatory since official records began in 1933. The wind chill dropped as low as -108°, an all-time record for the United States, with 127mph gusts. At those temperatures, frostbite can develop in less than a minute.
The current Mount Washington Observatory was established in 1933, but there are records at Mount Washington that include a -50 F reading on January 22, 1885. This is also the state record for the coldest temperature.
“With these frigid conditions in mind, it is important to take these extremely low wind chill values seriously. It will be very difficult to regenerate body heat in this cold of conditions, increasing the risk of hypothermia. Frostbite will also develop on exposed skin extremely quickly in these.”
– MW Obs
The previous wind chill record before yesterday was -105ºF in Alaska.
Mount Washington, in the heart of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, is notorious for having the “worst weather in the world.”
