Over 1,900 Record Lows Broken or Tied

UPDATE 1/12: I have updated the numbers below - we're now over 1,900 (was only 1,000 when I originally wrote this blog). See this new blog entry about cold in Florida, Cuba, and other Caribbean locations. Here's a map showing the temperature compared to normal for January 1 - 10. Pretty impressive!

UPDATE 1/11: Key West fell to 42 today, that's only one degree away from their all-time record. Another way to think about this is that out of over 50,000 days since weather records began there, it was only colder than this morning on two days.

UPDATE 1/8: Key West, Florida fell to 47 degrees this morning (their all-time record low is 41). Because most buildings there don't have heat, shelters are open.

UPDATE: Strong language from the NWS regarding the longevity of this cold outbreak in the Jacksonville, Florida area... the NWS is projecting that "THIS WILL LIKELY BREAK HISTORICAL RECORDS AT ALL LOCAL CLIMATE SITES" for subfreezing temp longevity.

"It's cold out there" is a saying that could be expressed in most of the nation this morning. In Tampa, Florida, flights were delayed because of ice -- because they have no way to remove it. But how historic is this cold wave? According to NCDC, this noteworthy cold wave has broken or tied over 1,900* temperature records, including over 500* newly established daily record low temperatures. Hit us up on Facebook and let us know how cold it's been where you are, and how long it's been since you've experienced such temperatures. Thus far in 2010:

563Low Temperatures Tied: 217Low Max. Temps Broken: 870Low Max. Temps Tied: 290*INFORMATION ABOVE UPDATED 1/12; ORIGINAL 1/8 STATSAVAILABLE HERE

This is especially interesting since a certain television channel of weather said Tuesday"there probably will not be many record lows broken during this cold snap." If we give them benefit of the doubt and assume they meant "non-daily records" then their statement is valid -- only Worthington, MN has done that so far, besting their coldest temperature ever seen in January. Of course, the month isn't over and even colder weather is coming.

They were right on one thing - this cold snap will be remembered for its longevity. Unfortunately that's also threatening records too - the SERCC says that Columbia, SC has tied their all-time longest stretch below 20 degrees. The NWS in Key West Florida admitted yesterday that they will probably tie their 2nd-longest stretch of sub-65-degree temps today.