Whoa. The Largest 24 Hour Temperature Change Happened In Montana
Montana is known for many things including our insane weather. Turning on your heater in the morning and air conditioning in the afternoon is common. But did you know that the Big Sky state holds the record in America for the largest temperature change in a 24-hour period?
In the Northern part of the state stands the small farm town of Loma. With a population of around 120 people, you could blink and miss it while driving through. It does however hold a place in the American record books for the largest temperature change in a 24-hour period, and if you've ever traveled through that part of the state, I'm sure you aren't surprised. The closer you get to the Highline, the nastier the weather can be. The winters are beyond brutal, and it takes a special kind of Montanan to live and thrive in that area.
On January 14th of 1972 at 9 am the thermometer in Loma read a bone-chilling -54 degrees. Even for Montana in January, that's pretty harsh. Now, fast forward to 23 hours on January 15th at 8 am. The mercury on the thermometer had risen to 49 degrees. That's a 103-degree change.
Speaking of cold weather and records, Montana also holds the coldest recorded temp in the lower 48 states. Again, we're not surprised. Back in January of 1954 on top of Rogers Pass, it had reached 70 degrees below zero.
Now we haven't seen crazy cold winters like that in some time, and in my opinion, we're probably about due. We haven't seen snowfall this early in many years. It's gonna be something else when all these warm-blooded out-of-staters get hit with a true Montana winter. You better stock up on long johns and firewood now. Just saying.