earth science

United States temperature extremes

United States temperature extremes is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand United States temperature extremes rather than just read about it. In short: For the United States, the extremes are 134 °F (56.7 °C) in Death Valley, California in 1913 and −79.8 °F (−62.1 °C) recorded in Prospect Creek, Alaska in 1971. The Death Valley record is contested due to lack of corroborating evidence from other stations nearby.

Key takeaways

United States temperature extremes belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect United States temperature extremes to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of United States temperature extremes from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

For the United States, the extremes are 134 °F (56.7 °C) in Death Valley, California in 1913 and −79.8 °F (−62.1 °C) recorded in Prospect Creek, Alaska in 1971. The Death Valley record is contested due to lack of corroborating evidence from other stations nearby. The next hottest temperature of 130°F (54.4°C) recorded at Furnace Creek on August 16 2020 and July 9 2021 is the highest uncontested, reliably measured temperature in the United State and on Earth. The largest recorded temperature change in one place over a 24-hour period occurred on January 15, 1972 in Loma, Montana, when the temperature rose from −54 to 49 °F (−47.8 to 9.4 °C). The most dramatic temperature changes occur in North American climates susceptible to Chinook winds. For example, the largest 2-minute temperature change of 49 °F (27.2 °C) occurred in Spearfish, South Dakota, a rise from −4 to 45 °F (−20.0 to 7.2 °C).

U.S. Climate Diversity The United States feature some of the most extreme temperatures anywhere in the world, driven by extreme geographic diversity. While the Death Valley/Furnace Creek record is the highest recorded temperature, the Prospect Creek minimum temperature record is reliably the fifth coldest recorded worldwide. Continental influences allow for extreme temperature swings, both diurnally and seasonally. Further, the density of on the ground sensors compared to other regions allows for great capture of extreme events.

Lack of extremes Among the U.S. states, Hawaii has both the lowest state maximum of 98 °F (36.7 °C) and the highest state minimum of 12.0 °F (−11.1 °C). Tropical ocean island locations such as Hawaii often have the lowest recorded temperature ranges. Hawaii has a high mountain on which its lowest temperature is recorded. Flat tropical ocean islands have smaller ranges, sometimes with a difference of as little as Northern Mariana Islands which has 35 °F (19.4 °C) range, between 62 °F (16.7 °C) and 97 °F (36.1 °C).

See also U.S. state temperature extremes

References

External links Temperature extremes site at Perth Weather Centre Each state's high temperature record USA Today, last updated August 2006. Each state's low temperature record USA Today, last updated August 2006.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with United States temperature extremes

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what United States temperature extremes claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to United States temperature extremes before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about United States temperature extremes ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of United States temperature extremes

In research: United States temperature extremes appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses United States temperature extremes in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: United States temperature extremes is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Atmospheric science stubs, Climate of the United States, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for United States temperature extremes outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study United States temperature extremes in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what United States temperature extremes means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain United States temperature extremes out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is United States temperature extremes in simple terms?

Why does United States temperature extremes matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study United States temperature extremes?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on United States temperature extremes.