The 5 Coldest Places in Washington Are Bone-Chillingly Frigid
Winters can be amazing in the United States. Depending on the state where you live, you can experience warm winters (like in Florida) or winter wonderlands. Of course, every place has its charm, whether it’s a cold place or a hot one. The reality is that some places get extremely cold. Some places in Iowa, New Mexico, and Wisconsin get frighteningly cold. When it comes to Washington, places are so cold, that you will be chilled to the bone. Let’s take a look at the five coldest places in Washington that are bone-chillingly frigid.
Republic
The coldest place in Washington is a town called Republic. The town of Republic has a population of about 1,000 people. The town used to be a mining town that had a population boom during the gold rush, but by the beginning of the 20th century, hoards of people left the town. Located in northeastern Washington, the area surrounding Republic experiences some of the coldest weather in the country. The Pacific Northwest is notorious for its extreme weather along with its abundance of snow. Republic’s annual average weather is 43.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Republic’s coldest month is December, followed by January. Lastly, the town of Republic receives 52 inches of snow every year.
Spokane
The city of Spokane has a population of 228,000, but the metropolitan area has around 600,000 people. The city is considered to be the 70th coldest city in the country. Its yearly annual temperature is 48.1 degrees Fahrenheit. Spokane is located in eastern Washington by the Rocky Mountains and sits on the Spokane River. The coldest month of the year is December, however, the record low came in January with a whopping -30 degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, Spokane receives 45 inches of snow per year, with December and January receiving the most amount of snow per year. Interestingly enough, although most of Washington has a lot of rain, Spokane gets only 16 inches of rain per year because of its proximity to the Cascade Range.
Winthrop
Located in northcentral Washington, Winthrop is a town that has a population of 349 people. Europan settlers came into the region that was inhabited by various Native American tribes in search of gold. But that’s not what Winthrop, the tiny town in Okanogan County, is known for. Winthrop is tied with the town of Mazama for having the coldest temperature ever recorded in the state of Washington. On December 30, 1968, Winthrop had a temperature of -48 degrees Fahrenheit. When it comes to annual snow, it experiences a whopping 58 inches, with the month that gets the snow being December at 21 inches.
Mazama
Located 14 miles away from Winthrop, Mazama is a town in northcentral Washington. Mazama is very similar in temperatures to the area where it experiences warm and dry summers, but extremely cold and snowy winters. When it comes to snowfall, Mazama receives a whopping 120 inches of snow, with December experiencing the most amount of snow. On January 1, 1997, it received a whopping 62 inches of snow, the most amount of any day in history for the town. The daily annual temperature is only 44.1 degrees Fahrenheit, with December being the coldest month at 21 degrees Fahrenheit. Mazama holds the record, along with Winthrop, of the coldest temperature in Washington with a whopping -48 degrees Fahrenheit on December 30, 1968.
Seattle
The most populous city in the state is Seattle with a population of 749,000. It is located in northwestern Washington, about 100 miles south of Canada. Seattle is one of the rainiest cities in the country, but also one of the coldest. It has an average annual temperature of 53.7 degrees Fahrenheit. It also experiences 39.34 inches of rain every year, but only 6.3 inches of snow per year. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Seattle was 0 degrees on January 31, 1950.
Conclusion
And there you have it, these are the five coldest places in Washington that are bone-chillingly frigid. These places are just so cold, that you may need extra layers upon extra layers just to keep warm. The temperatures these places have had have been freezing or below freezing. It’s part of the charm of these places, after all. Washington is beautiful in winter. Located in the Pacific Northwest, the landscapes are beautiful all year round. Of course, if you ever visit in winter, make sure you bring thick jackets and extra layers to ensure your stay in the five coldest places in Washington is warm.
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