* 68 below zero is the temperature in Ojmjakon, Siberia at this hour. I wonder what people do when it is that frigid? Maybe they sit around the fireplace all day and play Rook. If Margie Richardson, our skywatcher in Rainbow City, was there, she would probably make a 5-gallon drum of hot chocolate.
* 54 below is the temperature in Saskylah, Russia. We get a lot of reports from Russia every hour.
* Not enough is how much sleep James Spann got last week making last minute preparations for Storm Alert and other duties. We just gotta figure out how he can get more sleep.
* 38 below zero was the coldest temperature in the lower 48 states this morning at Hallock, Pine River and Embarrass, Minnesota. That area in NE Minnesota is prone to some of the coldest weather ever in the United States. It is known as the arrowhead. Some of those small towns are almost household words in weather circles due to their low temperatures. That includes places like Ely, Crane Lake, Hibbing and even International Falls. Much of the area is in the Superior National Forest. We did not get a report from Tower, Minnesota this morning. It was only a few years ago that they had a low of 62 below zero.
* 54 below zero was the wind chill at Churchill, Manitoba with a temperature of 27 below. To me, polar bears are one of the most beautiful animals on earth and Churchill is known as their capitol. I assume (I hope) that most of the bears are still in hibernation.
* 60 below zero was the wind chill in Gillam, Manitoba this morning.
* 41 above zero was the low in Great Falls, Montana this morning, while it was 8 above at Wolf Point on the NE side of the state. Great Falls was warm, because of downslope Chinook winds flowing down the east slopes of the Rockies. The air heats by compression as it comes down to lower altitudes, somewhat similar for an automobile tire to feel warm after pumping it full of air.
* 4 above zero was the low in Russia this morning. Mind you, that is Russia, Ohio. There is such a town and we get an hourly report.
* 17 was the low in Canada–mind you, that is Canada, Kentucky and we also get a report from there.
* 46 is the percent of the lower 48 states covered by snow this morning. That is down some from recent days.
* 241 inches was the snow depth at Logan Summit this morning. I assume that is the Logan Summit at the upper end of Logan Canyon in NE Utah also known as Monte Cristo Summit.
* 30 was how many degrees the high temperature was below normal in Chicago yesterday. They barely got above zero.
* 10 below zero was how cold it was in Chicago this morning. That was recorded at the Chicago Botanical Gardens. It was 14 below in the outlying areas of Chicago.
* 90 was the warmest (shall we say hottest) in the USA Sunday at Anaheim and San Gabriel, California. We want to close on a warm note, so I am out of here.
