Alamosa sets record high and record low temperature in the same day

ALAMOSA, Colo. — A city known for its temperature swings had quite the accomplishment on Friday.

That’s because at 4:47 p.m., Alamosa hit 92 degrees – setting a new record high for July 10. This was just a few hours after the temperature was recorded at 37 degrees in the morning – a record low.

So let’s unpack that: according to the National Weather Service, Alamosa set both a record high and a record low on the same day.

Thanks to Alamosa’s high desert climate in the arid San Luis Valley, big temperature swings aren’t uncommon there. Basically, it’s because since it’s at 7,500 feet, it gets cold at night, but heats up quickly in the day.

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Actually, Alamosa set a record high and record low on three consecutive days in 2002, according to Wunderground.com.

• August 24, 2002: Record high of 85°, record low of 33° (52° range)
• August 25, 2002: Record high of 87°, record low of 30° (57°)
• August 26, 2002: Record high of 88°, record low of 31° (57°)

That’s nothing compared to what happened in November 1911 in Kansas City, where the temperature dipped from 76 degrees to 11 degrees in just 12 hours. Wunderground said this was part of the most severe cold front in U.S. history.

Alamosa is located in south central Colorado about 30 minutes southwest of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. 

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