Colorado logs coldest temps in the United States on Saturday, Sunday

Colorado was the coldest place in the contiguous United States on Saturday and Sunday, according to data collected by the National Weather Service.

A weather station on Berthoud Pass logged a low of 19 degrees on Saturday and a station on Trail Ridge Road, 4 miles northwest of Grand Lake, logged a low of 17 degrees on Sunday.

Berthoud Pass was the coldest spot in the CONUS today with a low of 19F. #COwx https://t.co/SKwyaNT9Yc

— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) September 24, 2023

Those are typical temperatures for high mountain valleys, said Bruno Rodriguez, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Boulder office. The area is experiencing an inversion, which is when warm air traps cold air below it.

“Colder air is denser and heavier and tends to sink to the valley…