Spring weather swings: The time this US town saw the temperature shift 100+ degrees in 24 hours

As we head into Spring, it’s time to brace ourselves for brusque changes to both the weather and temperatures. We are now in the most extreme season, when the atmosphere is caught between warmer air trying to push farther north and the last of winter’s cold plunging southward out of Canada.

The result of that contrast is a potent jet stream, carrying low-pressure systems which in turn bring highly variable weather conditions. So we can see four seasons in one day - from bright, dry sunny and even balmy days right the way across the spectrum to snow storms, tornadoes, heavy rain, high winds and big fluctuations in temperatures.

It’s not unusual to see changeable weather across several days - or even in the same day. Bright sunny days can turn in an instant, so it’s always a good idea to be prepared for freak April showers.

From freezing cold to warm in Montana

The most dramatic shift in weather conditions and the biggest change in temperature in the same day on record occurred in Loma, Montana, on January 15 1972. Local temperatures rose from -54 degrees Fahrenheit to 49 degrees F over 24 hours - a massive change of 103 degrees.

The extreme, swift change in temperature in Loma was a classic case of Chinook winds at work while trying to cross over the state’s westerly mountain ranges. Air rolling from the Pacific, starts to rise once it hits the Rocky Mountains, the air cools forming water droplets and causing precipitation on the windward side of the mountains.

This causes a huge fluctuation in temperature, ranging from around 50 degrees F on the ground at the foot of the mountain to below freezing (32 degrees F) at the summit (approx. 2,000 ft).

Once the air is dry it can continue its passage over the mountain, compresses and warms up at a very fast rate. So on the leeward, easterly side of the mountain, while temperatures at the summit remain close to zero, on the ground, they can reach anything from 65 - 68 degrees F.

The biggest difference between the hottest and coldest place on Earth during the same day

The biggest discrepancy in conditions and temperatures on Earth during the same day happened on August 20 1992. Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California was the hottest place on the planet, hitting a maximum temperature of 124°F (51.1°C).

But it was a very different story over in Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarctica, where a blizzard was raging outside Vostok research station with themometers recording a low of -126.2°F (-87.9°C). The difference, 250.2°F (139°C) between one place and another, all on the same day.

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