The Coldest Spot in Utah --- Peter Sinks

    The author at the trailhead/ATV parking lot to reach Peter Sinks at the top of Logan Canyon.                                                                                  Photo by Scott Steele

The National Weather Service's modern solar powered weather station at the bottom of Peter Sinks, as it appeared in August of 2020.

Peter Sinks, the record-setting coldest spot in Utah, is located southwest of the Bear Lake Summit of Logan Canyon and Highway 89. This is how the Sinks' original weather stations appeared in August of 1990. It wasn't discovered for its cold until about 1982.

By Lynn Arave

HOW cold is 69 degrees below zero?

A remote mountain valley, located about five miles northwest of the Bear Lake Summit, along U.S. 89, is the coldest spot in Utah and one of the most frigid in the lower 48 states.
It dipped to a -69.3 degree reading on Feb. 1, 1985. That's the all-time record for the coldest known temperature in the Beehive State.

(However, some may see that reading as "unofficial," since it was not taken from an official National Weather Service Station ....)

Only Rogers Pass in Montana has likely measured colored in the lower 48 states, with a -69.7 degree reading in the January of 1954. NOTE that many lists of cold places ONLY highlight towns and not isolated places like Peter Sinks -- and other rankings may vary with this, if only official National Weather Service stations are used.

Yet, Dr. Jon Meyers of the Utah State Climatology Department believes that if Peter Sinks had a longer history of weather records, dating back to the late 1960s, or early 1970s, it will almost surely hold the all-time lower 48 states record for cold.

For example:

-On the morning of October 30, 2019, Peter Sinks recorded the lowest October temperature ever recorded by the National Weather Service for any of the lower 48 states at minus 45.5 degrees. This came during a record cold spell in the western and midwestern states when frigid Arctic air spilled down south as far as Arizona.

Peter Sinks, an alpine sinkhole, elevation 8,092 feet above sea level,  is similar to the often-seen middle and upper "Sinks,' located just south of U.S. 89, as it climbs to the Bear Lake overlook summit.

In fact, "Sinks" is a common word all over this area of upper Logan Canyon. There's a North Sink, a South Sink, Upper Sinks and a Sinker also found on USGS maps in the greater area here. Additionally, there are more than 3 dozens caves in a 15 mile radius here, including Logan Cave and further away is Minnetonka Cave in Idaho.


This area is a snowmobile haven in winter time and part of an ATV loop ride in summer. Some deer hunters and ranchers may also occasionally visit here and cattle roam freely here in summer too.
Some local weathermen were the ones who discovered this uninhabited hole  in the early 1980s.
"Cold" can simply be defined as the absence of heat. And, cold will always settle in the lowest place.
There used to be underground caverns in this area, near Logan Canyon, and when they collapsed, the sinks were created.

                   

Middle and Upper Sinks are extra cold places too, but not quite as cold as Peter Sinks.
All it takes for record-cold temperatures in these sink hole areas are: a temperature inversion, a good snowpack, a lack of wind and a  long winter night.
Peter Sinks is large, about a mile long and three-fourths of a mile wide.

                   
Actually more like a "dam" for cold air, the temperature at the middle (bottom) of Peter Sinks may be as much as 15-20 degrees colder than the air at the top of its rim. That's because cold air is so dense, it pools and can be trapped easily in these sinks.
This extra cold air is also why no trees and little vegetation can survive inside these sink holes.
That's how these "Sinks" were discovered -- when weather experts felt the cold air leaking out from these depressions.

Zane Stephens and a friend, Mike Bowman, discovered Peter Sinks and its legendary cold in the early 1980s. They were looking for a coldest spot in Utah. First, they checked out Dry Lake in Sardine Canyon, along Highway 89. It was cold, but not sub zero. Then, they found some European research on "Sinks" and began to search those. They found Middle and Upper Sinks in Logan Canyon to be below zero at times and knew if a higher elevation sinks was in that area, it would be the kingpin of them all. They then found Peter Sinks and the rest of Utah weather history once they recorded the frigid -69 degree reading in 1985.

(Stephens worked for Utah State University Climatology at the time.)

Thermometers were known to freeze solid inside Peter Sinks, trying to capture readings of its frigid air, in the early 1980s, shortly after it was "discovered."

Since these sink holes are still sinking, they may even become somewhat colder in the future.

Even in summer, Peter Sinks can be a pretty cool place. for example, one summer day some years ago, it was 99 degrees in Logan, but only 84 in Peter Sinks. On August 27, 2020, Logan was in the low 90s for a high, while Peter Sinks was about 68 degrees.

Peter Sinks is located two small mountain peaks over to the south of Middle Sinks.
No one lives anywhere near Peter Sinks and with good reason.

-Regarding the name origin for Peter Sinks, there seems to be a mystery there ...

The place was already named that decades before 1985 on USGS maps, when the place became world famous for its cold temperatures.
Middle Sinks is the title for a similar place located along Highway 89 at the top of Logan Canyon. So, the "Sinks" part is all about the dip of the land, or depression in elevation.
Was there a Peter, who frequented the area?
Cattle roam this area in summer. Was Peter an early rancher in the 19th Century?
The book, "Utah Place Names," by John W. Van Cott lists Peter Sinks, but supplies NO information or even theories as to its origin.

                                          Cattle roam the Peter Sinks area in the summer.

Is there a Peter in Cache or Rich County history? Couldn't readily find one.

According to an Associated Press story by Judy Fahys in the Daily Spectrum on April 30, 2010, Peter Sinks be may be named after a miner who once tried to homestead the place and froze to death.

“When he didn’t show up after a nasty winter, goes the third-hand account, a search party from Bear Lake went looking for him. The party found him frozen to death,” the story stated.

The fact that there is a "Deadman Gulch" listed on USGS maps less than two miles northeast of Peter Sinks may add support to a "Peter" settler freezing to death in the area during the 1800s. Again, there's no history for that geographical feature either, but it is very close to Peter Sinks.

                                     The desolate interior of Peter Sinks looking northward.

-Here's an even more wild possible tie into the Peter name ...
Biblically it is a stretch, but the Apostle Peter "sunk" in the waters of the Sea of Galilee while trying to walk on water (Matthew 14) until Jesus Christ lifted him up. There's no lake in Peter Sinks, but cold air sinks there at times. And, to the west of Peter Sinks, straight north of Logan Canyon and about 8 air miles distant are the Biblically named Gog and Magog peaks -- and not far away from there is Mount Naomi, another Biblical name and also the highest point in Cache County. And, another Biblical name, Saducee Spring, is also nearby, in Upper Logan Canyon.

-HOW TO VISIT PETER SINKS:

At about 30.5 miles east in upper Logan Canyon on Highway 89 (using the Forest Service office at the west edge of the canyon as a starting point), is a dirt road turnout that heads south, eventually reaching Hardware Ranch. This road is passable by cars in dry weather and is a good gravel road. Head about 2.7 miles on this road until you re-enter some thick trees and look for a dirt road parking lot on the west side, below the road.

This is mostly an ATV staging area, but cars can park here. There's also a sign indicating Peter Sinks here. Starting elevation is about 7,900 feet.

The first mile of this road is very dusty and in dry weather almost car passable. However, from there on, this road becomes more of a two-land trail and gets very rugged and rocky, with large holes and dips in places. Even pickup trucks will find rough conditions here. And, there are some steep sections on the road. However, there is occasional shade.

              A shady section along the sometimes rugged/rocky ATV road to Peter Sinks.

This route is probably passable without snow from mid to late June into October.

ATVs can go a total of about 2.7 miles to the rim of Peter Sinks and another 0.3 miles winding a dirt road to the bottom of the Sinks. Mountain bikes or motorcycles could also make the trip. During winter, it would also be likely possible to cross country ski into Peter Sinks. All total, is about 6.5 miles roundtrip to Peter Sinks.

                                 Bushwacking downward into the depths of Peter Sinks.

Descending down into the bottom of Peter Sinks is very steep, if you bushwack straight down about 300 feet and much longer if you follow the jeep-like road down. The weather station is located in the southwest area of Peter Sinks and does not show up well to the naked eye looking down from the rim above.

One small and hearty pine tree, with stunted growth, is visible on the south side, like below the run.

        One  of the steeper sections of the ATV path to Peter Sinks. This one is about half-way.

-There are also two other paths to reach Peter Sink, both only open to foot or bicycle travel.

The longest path is from the Stump HollowTrailhead, far below in Logan Canyon. This route is 10.8 miles roundtrip and has more than 2,000 feet in elevation gain. This is a long day hike.

The shortest walk to Peter Sinks is actually through the Burnt Fork Canyon. This trailhead is found in the middle of an open, flat meadow area, about 2 miles distant from Highway 89. A dirt parking area is on the east side of the road. This route may only be two miles or less to Peter Sinks, one-way. However, no motorized vehicles are allowed in this area. It is also far more isolated and portions of the upper trail are a little faint and indistinct.

      The interior of Peter Sinks. Very dry in summer, but usually only in the high 60s for temperatures.

L-R: Scott Steele of Syracuse, Mike, cameraman for KUTV, and morning news anchor, Ron Bird, prepare for a recording session at the bottom of Peter Sinks on Aug. 27, 2020.

-Lynn Arave has visited Peter Sinks twice, once in August of 1990 and again on August 27, 2020 (with a KUTV, Ch. 2 news crew).

This story is adapted/expanded from a story by Lynn Arave in the Deseret News, Aug. 8, 1990.
-Most photos by Lynn Arave and a few by Wayne Arave. 

-NOTE: The author, Lynn Arave, is available to speak to groups, clubs, classes or other organizations about Utah history at no charge. He can be contacted by email at: lynnarave@comcast.net