December 2017–January 2018 North American cold wave
Temperature anomaly map of North America during the week of December 26, 2017 to January 2, 2018, showcasing the below-average temperatures. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | December 23, 2017 |
| Dissipated | January 18, 2018 |
| Cold wave | |
| Lowest temperature | −45 °F (−43 °C) in Embarrass, MN on December 31 |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 39 |
| Areas affected | Canada, East Coast of the United States, Midwestern United States |
Part of the 2017–18 North American winter | |
The December 2017–January 2018 North American cold wave was an extreme weather event in North America in which record low temperatures gripped much of the Central, Eastern United States, and parts of Central and Eastern Canada. Starting in late December as a result of the southward shift of the polar vortex, extremely cold conditions froze the eastern United States in the last few days of 2017 as well as into the new year. Following a brief respite in mid-January, cold temperatures swung back into the eastern U.S. shortly afterwards. The cold wave finally dissolved by around January 19, as near-average temperatures returned.
Several winter weather events accompanied the cold wave, the most significant one was a powerful blizzard that impacted the Northeastern U.S. in the first few days of 2018. Some of these events impacted areas that normally do not receive snow, such as Louisiana and Texas. In an extremely rare event, Tallahassee, Florida in extreme north Florida received trace amounts of frozen precipitation for the first time in more than 30 years. In addition, many places broke records for lowest temperatures in the final week of 2017 and the first week of 2018.