The January 2024 North American cold wave was an extreme weather event that brought record low temperatures to a significant portion of Canada, the United States and parts of northern Mexico during the middle of January 2024. The cold was caused by a southern migration of the polar vortex, likely caused by a sudden stratospheric warming event that occurred a few weeks prior.
Background
A large arctic airmass over Canada began to spill over into the Pacific Northwest, as the storm system and arctic airmass advanced east.[2]
Records
United States
Wind chills following the arrival of the cold reached as low as −60 °F (−51 °C) in Montana, and wind chills were still −9 °F (−23 °C) as far south as Dallas on January 14.[3] On January 13, Dillon, Montana reached an all time record low of −42 °F (−41 °C), while Bozeman, Montana recorded their second coldest temperature at −45 °F (−43 °C).[4] That same day, Dickinson, North Dakota reached a −70 °F (−57 °C) wind chill, their coldest since the wind chill formula was updated in 2001, and a −33 °F (−36 °C) air temperature, a daily record and their coldest temperature since 1990.[5] On January 16, Houston dropped to a daily record low of 19 °F (−7 °C).[6]
Impact
United States
Midwestern United States
Freezing temperatures affected campaign events leading up to the Iowa Caucuses on January 15, and could affect turnout in the first contest in the 2024 presidential primaries and caucuses.[7] In addition, the cold temperatures resulted in the 4th coldest NFL game on record between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins, with kickoff temperature being −4 °F (−20 °C).[8]
Northeastern United States
Numerous Northeast Corridor trains were cancelled due to the cold weather over the Northeastern United States on January 18.[9]
References
- ^ Brutally cold weather hitting storm-battered South and Northeast US this weekend, AP News, January 20, 2024
- ^ Arctic Chill Sweeps U.S., Earth Observatory, January 15, 2024
- ^ Dangerous Subzero Wind Chills Blanket Much of the U.S., New York Times, January 14, 2024
- ^ Historic cold grips SW Montana, KBZK, January 13, 2024
- ^ Records set over the weekend; recapping the coldest part of our Arctic blast, KFYRTV, January 14, 2024
- ^ "Houston breaks low temperature record for Jan. 16 as freeze sweeps Texas". Chron. January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ Iowa campaign events are falling as fast as the snow as the state readies for record-cold caucuses, Associated Press, January 12, 2024
- ^ Chiefs and Dolphins play fourth-coldest game in NFL history at minus-4 degrees, ABC News, January 13, 2024
- ^ Amtrak cancels more than a dozen Northeast Corridor trains due to winter weather, CBS News, January 18, 2024