Most towns had air temperatures -10 to -20 early Saturday morning. That’s half the story though because wind chills have reached record territory.
Wind chill records are unofficial, but here’s the top 10 list for Portland going back to 1948. Last night’s -45 degree wind chill at the Portland Jetport at 9 p.m. takes the number one spot.
- Feb. 3, 2023 -45 degrees (as of 11 p.m.)
- Jan. 19, 1971 -41 degrees
- Dec. 31, 1963 -39 degrees
- Jan. 23, 1976 -37 degrees
Mount Washington Observatory had a historic night breaking an unofficial wind chill record of -103 degrees. As of 11 p.m. last night, the wind chill bottomed out at -108 degrees which is not only a Mount Washington record, but also a United States record. In addition, the low air temperature reached -47.1 degrees. That ties an all time record low set in January of 1934. For the rest of us, air temperatures were the coldest since Jan. 1, 2018.
Today will feature a slow climb into the single digits. Afternoon temperatures will make a run at the upper single digits to around 10 degrees. More importantly, the wind will start to diminish this afternoon.
Another interesting stat is the lack of moisture in the air. If you have dry skin or chapped lips, you’re not alone and there’s a good reason. The dew point temperature dipped to -32 degrees last night. That’s the lowest dew point value in 41 years.
There’s no question, Sunday will be the pick of the weekend. Highs will return into the 30s and most of the area will nudge the low 40s by Monday. A weak front will bring rain showers and inland mix Tuesday night. More rain looks to be in the cards for the mountains on Thursday. There is potential for a storm during Super Bowl weekend.