Yesterdays Lows/Highs in the USA: (normal, comparison, map, South)
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I think it's the 'jet stream' that causes this by bringing cold air down from Canada.
Canada is a massive icebox in the winter and the Rocky Mountains funnel that cold air right down to southern Texas and Mexico. The cold air rarely spreads west into Nevada, AZ, and CA. Instead it plunges straight south. I've observed this for years every winter as a kid glued to the weather channel. I believe there are places in Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico which are below the Tropic of Cancer and the record low is below freezing (at sea level). Which is amazing in my opinion. I'm pretty sure that everywhere else on earth at Brownsville, TX latitude (25.9N)you would have coconut palms and pretty much a purely tropical climate (at sea level).
I believe there are places in Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico which are below the Tropic of Cancer and the record low is below freezing (at sea level). Which is amazing in my opinion. I'm pretty sure that everywhere else on earth at Brownsville, TX latitude (25.9N)you would have coconut palms and pretty much a purely tropical climate (at sea level).
Actually, a quick search shows that there are a few places at 25 degrees away from the equator near sea level that have record temperatures at or below freezing.
Actually, a quick search shows that there are a few places at 25 degrees away from the equator near sea level that have record temperatures at or below freezing.
According to the book "Extreme Weather" (Burt-2008)...I saw a few other really cold temps below 25 degrees latitude:
Taiwan - 19 F (Alishan)
Sri Lanka - 25 F (Nuwara Eliya)
Vietnam - 28 F (Muong Bu)
Maybe they are highlands?
Yes, all of those locations are highlands. Alishan is 7891 feet (2406m) ASL, Nuwara Eliya is 6168 feet (1880m) ASL and Muong Bu is 5381 feet (1641m) above sea level
Canada is a massive icebox in the winter and the Rocky Mountains funnel that cold air right down to southern Texas and Mexico. The cold air rarely spreads west into Nevada, AZ, and CA. Instead it plunges straight south. I've observed this for years every winter as a kid glued to the weather channel. I believe there are places in Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico which are below the Tropic of Cancer and the record low is below freezing (at sea level). Which is amazing in my opinion. I'm pretty sure that everywhere else on earth at Brownsville, TX latitude (25.9N)you would have coconut palms and pretty much a purely tropical climate (at sea level).
Yea, I remember reading a very convincing article that half the reason the US is cold compared to Europe is the Rockies. East of where the cold air spills, warm spills north (in Europe?) I've noticed winter temperatures seem to drop as you go east of the Rockies (western Montana is warmer than eastern Montana while the Dakotas are even colder).
This link shows which places have recorded the coldest / warmest for their latitude
Viewing a thread - The Latitude Temperature Challenge... (http://www.ukweatherworld.co.uk/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=38076&posts=45 - broken link)
Interesting that North America has the hottest temperatures north of 35°N and the coldest from 25°N to 55°N.
Yea, I remember reading a very convincing article that half the reason the US is cold compared to Europe is the Rockies. East of where the cold air spills, warm spills north (in Europe?) I've noticed winter temperatures seem to drop as you go east of the Rockies (western Montana is warmer than eastern Montana while the Dakotas are even colder).
I remember reading something like that too -- was it this one?
Canada is a massive icebox in the winter and the Rocky Mountains funnel that cold air right down to southern Texas and Mexico. The cold air rarely spreads west into Nevada, AZ, and CA. Instead it plunges straight south. I've observed this for years every winter as a kid glued to the weather channel. I believe there are places in Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico which are below the Tropic of Cancer and the record low is below freezing (at sea level). Which is amazing in my opinion. I'm pretty sure that everywhere else on earth at Brownsville, TX latitude (25.9N)you would have coconut palms and pretty much a purely tropical climate (at sea level).
Who said Brownsville doesn't have coconut palms?
Tampico, Mexico(on the coast of the tropics) has recorded below freezing temps. The coast of Brownsville(Port Isabel, South Padre Island) is very mild, temps there have only been below freezing twice since 1989 and not below 30 since 1989. It is slightly cooler then South Florida though, but in terms of absolute lows is quite close. I would compare it to Vero Beach or Sarasota in Florida with slightly warmer absolute minimums.
Deep South Texas is so underrated.
12F was recorded more then 100 years ago! Second lowest was 15F back in 1989.
Last edited by Zone13; 01-14-2011 at 07:48 PM..
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