Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 23, 1960.
18 Degrees Below 0!
It’s Coldest Weather Here In 25 Years
Valparaiso’s coldest weather in a quarter-century sent the thermometer plunging to 18 degrees below zero about 6 a.m. today at Flint lake weather station.
It was the fifth coldest reading on record here Meteorologist Richard Coote said.
The last time the temperature was lower here was Jan. 23, 1936, when it dropped to 19 degrees below zero.
All-time record is -22° on Dec. 28, 1924.
Today’s -18° reading was second coldest in Indiana.
Unofficial readings by local residents this morning ranged down to -25°. Mrs. Bernard Rogers, Division road (RFD 2), reported a -25° reading. Mrs. Rogers said she checked the reading by placing a second thermometer next to the regular one. Both showed -25°.
Today’s -18° broke the Dec. 23 record of -2° set in 1943, Coote said.
8 Degree Range
Thursday’s thermometer readings at the weather station provided a rarity. The temperature varied a rarity. The temperature varied only 8 degreesーfrom a low of -4° to a high of 4 degrees above zero, bringing a mean reading of zero for the day. It was zero 5 p.m. Thursday, the end of the “weather day.”
Some of the lowest readings at the weather station north of Valparaiso include:
-22° Dec. 28, 1924
-21° Jan. 12, 1918
-21° Jan. 18, 1930
-19° Jan. 23, 1936
-18° Today (Dec. 23, 1960)
-17° Feb. 2, 1951
Many Cars Stalled
The bitter cold found many motorists unable to get their cars started this morning.
The extreme cold weather was blamed for two fires which destroyed homes Thursday in Boone township.
The farm home of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Cooper and baby was destroyed Thursday morning. Blaze was believed to have started from an overheated oil stove. Home was located near the Kankakee river, south of Hebron.
A widow, Mrs. Alta Albertson and her two sons, lost their home Thursday afternoon in a fire which was believed to have started from a spark left by a relative who had used a torch to thaw out frozen water pipes. The Albertson home was located at the southwest edge of Hebron.
COLD WEATHER ‘SMOKE’ - Billows of steam pour from automobile exhausts along west Lincolnway at 8 a.m. today, when thermometers registered 12-degrees below zero. Sub-zero reading of 18 bellow was reported in city during night.