4 ms·

"thermometers don't use mercury" uhh... many of them do in fact use mercury..

• gojomo 13y ago
  Indeed, the article errs on that general statement. But it seems per Wikipedia that pure-mercury thermometers become unusable at -39C, when mercury solidifies. A mercury-thallium alloy can go to -61C, but apparently alcohol thermometers are preferred for measuring extreme cold, as they work to -70C. So the actual observed thermometers on that record day – those thermometers – likely did not use mercury.
• grecy 13y ago
  Up here in the Yukon mercury thermometers aren't all that helpful because they only go to -40C. It's fun when all the thermometers are pegged at -40C at midday in full sun, and you don't see them move for a week :)