DAVIS, W.Va. (WBOY) — Canaan Valley recorded West Virginia's first freezing temperature of the season Wednesday morning, which was also the coldest temperature recorded in the contiguous U.S.

While most of West Virginia dipped down into the 40s on Aug. 27, Canaan Valley was much colder because of several unique features. The valley recorded a low of 28 degrees Fahrenheit Wednesday morning, which was coldest in the U.S., other than Alaska, according to the National Weather Service.

Canaan Valley normally hits the country's coldest temperature several times a year. Even though it is not the most northern or the highest in elevation in the U.S., the valley has its own microclimate and is a textbook definition of a frost hollow. Under certain conditions, the bowl-shape of the valley collects

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