Low temperatures measured across Colorado on the last day of an Arctic cold outbreak dipped two communities below -40 degrees on Tuesday morning.

The cold air sank temperatures in some usual spots state-wide on Tuesday ranging from between -20 to -40 degrees.

“Lowest temperature we’ve observed overnight has been -44F in Fraser Flats, just south of Tabernash in Grand County,” the NWS said in a post from social media platform X. “Very well may end up being the coldest temperature nationwide today (and yes that includes interior Alaska).”

Locations in North and Middle parks of Grand and Jackson counites saw the absolute lowest temperatures. Places in Summit and Eagle counties along Interstate 70 recorded lows from between -20 to -30 degrees, and further south in the Gunnison Valley and along the East River north to Crested Butte lows ranged between -25 to -35 degrees.

Several locations along the I-25 corridor and onto the southeastern Plains recorded lows from -15 to -25 degrees as well.

Here’s a list of low temperature recordings statewide from Tuesday morning:

• Fraser Flats -44
• Harbison Meadow -40
• Grand Lake -38
• Windy Gap west of Granby -37
• Sargents -34
• Crested Butte -34
• Steamboat Springs -33
• Wolford Mountain Reservoir -32
• Lake Catamount -32
• Milner -31
• Gunnison -31
• Keystone Golf Course -28
• Nast Lake in Pitkin County -27
• Kremmling -26
• Vail Pass summit -26
• Frisco -24
• Rocky Ford -24
• East of Gun Barrel Hill in Boulder -23
• Lake George -23
• Silverton -22
• Platteville -20

Denver, the metro area and adjacent eastern Plains cities recorded some cold nights as well, but no daily lowest-temperature records were broken.

January is still the coldest month on average for Denver and Colorado.

In the recorded weather history from 1872-2024, the monthly mean maximum temperature for Denver is 43.2 degrees and the monthly mean minimum temperature for Denver is -5 degrees.

Other notable low temperature events in Colorado included record low temperatures set over extended time periods:

• According to NWS records, in January 1962 a protracted cold spell kept metro Denver in the deep freeze for more than a week, a record for temperatures below 40 degrees each hour for the duration of the event.

From Jan. 15 through Jan. 23, low temperatures were zero or below for nine consecutive days, with a daily record low being set only on one day, Jan. 22, when the temperature dipped to -14 degrees. A record low maximum for the date was also set on the Jan. 22 when the temperature climbed to only 11 degrees. The coldest high temperature was three degrees above zero on the Jan. 21, which did not break the record.

The protracted cold was broken for only a few hours on the afternoon of the Jan. 20 when chinook winds warmed the temperature to a high of 38 degrees before another surge of cold Arctic air plunged temperatures back into the deep freeze that evening.

• In December 1983, an extremely cold spell occurred across Denver where the temperature remained below zero for 115 hours in Denver, the longest sub-zero period on record.

The mercury dipped to -21 degrees on the Dec. 21, the coldest recorded temperature in over 20 years at the time and the cold was accompanied by winds that plunged chill factors to -50 to -70 degrees. Two people froze to death in Denver; both were found outside dead of exposure.

Eight daily temperature records were set at the time. The all-time record low maximum temperature for the month of -8 degrees on Jan. 21 still stands today. Other temperature records still standing include record low maximum temperatures of -5 degrees on both the Jan. 22 and 23, and -4 degrees on Jan. 24.

• Alamosa in Colorado’s San Luis Valley can claim five notable records as well as the coldest average temperature town in Colorado.

• No. 1 coldest on average state-wide
• No. 24 coldest on average nationally
• Average annual temperature is 41.5 F
• Average daily maximum is 59.2 F
• Average daily minimum is 23.9 F