25 US Cities That Will Be Abnormally Cold This Week

A joyful woman in a knit hat and scarf enjoying a sunny winter day outdoors.https://climate-crisis-247-bucket.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/07234750/3760627-150x150.jpeg

After a bitterly cold weekend, icy air will continue to settle across the country, bringing temperatures more than 10°F below normal in some major cities.

Whence the next pandemic? Cities Where the Next Pandemic Is Most Likely to Break Out
New border crisis? Climate Change Pushing Vampire Bats North Into Texas

While the average minimum in December is generally above 40°F in the Southeastern U.S., temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing in major cities like Columbia, South Carolina and Gainesville, Florida over the next few days. A few cities are projected to set daily records for low temperature. A look at NOAA data reveals the major cities where temperatures will be abnormally low over the next 72 hours.

To determine the cities that will be abnormally cold this week, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data from NOAA’s National Digital Forecast Database. Cities with at least 100,000 residents were ranked based on the difference between the forecast minimum air temperature for December 2 to December 5, 2024 and historical monthly temperature normals for December 1901 through 2000. Air temperature forecasts are based on NDFD raster data, while data on historical monthly temperature normals for December are from the NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.

25. Savannah, GA

Pexels / Photo by Gotta Be Worth It

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 32.7°F (-7.4°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 40.1°F
  • Total population: 147,583
 

24. Peoria, IL

Pexels / Photo by Yusuf Mahammed

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 11.9°F (-7.5°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 19.4°F
  • Total population: 113,054
 

23. Indianapolis, IN

Pexels / Photo by Chait Goli

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 14.9°F (-7.6°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 22.5°F
  • Total population: 882,006
 

22. Orlando, FL

Pexels / Photo by Craig Adderley

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 42.1°F (-7.7°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 49.8°F
  • Total population: 307,738
 

21. Louisville, KY

Pexels / Photo by Matt Ashworth

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 18.8°F (-7.8°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 26.6°F
  • Total population: 629,176
 

20. Hillsboro, OR

Pexels / Photo by Tara Hansen

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 25.5°F (-7.9°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 33.4°F
  • Total population: 106,612
 

19. Columbia, SC

Pexels / Photo by Sebastian Angarita

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 26.8°F (-8.0°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 34.8°F
  • Total population: 136,754
 

18. Lexington, KY

Pexels / Photo by David Henry

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 17.5°F (-8.4°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 25.9°F
  • Total population: 321,276
 

17. Memphis, TN

Pexels / Photo by Uncle Rico

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 24.7°F (-8.4°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 33.1°F
  • Total population: 630,027
 

16. Huntsville, AL

Pexels / Photo by A. G. Rosales

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 23.3°F (-8.4°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 31.7°F
  • Total population: 215,025
 

15. Chesapeake, VA

Pexels / Photo by LuAnn Hunt

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 23.8°F (-8.5°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 32.3°F
  • Total population: 249,377
 

14. St. Louis, MO

Pexels / Photo by Kayli Thompson

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 17.2°F (-8.5°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 25.7°F
  • Total population: 298,018
 

13. Nashville, TN

Pexels / Photo by Rachel Claire

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 21.3°F (-8.6°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 29.9°F
  • Total population: 684,103
 

12. Springfield, IL

Pexels / Photo by Yan Krukau

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 13.0°F (-8.8°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 21.8°F
  • Total population: 114,214
 

11. Richmond, VA

Pexels / Photo by Barry Plott

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 20.2°F (-8.8°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 29.1°F
  • Total population: 227,171
 

10. Clarksville, TN

Pexels / Photo by Sio Wong

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 20.0°F (-9.1°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 29.2°F
  • Total population: 167,882
 

9. Murfreesboro, TN

Pexels / Photo by Anton Atanasov

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 20.4°F (-9.4°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 29.8°F
  • Total population: 153,487
 

8. Jacksonville, FL

Pexels / Photo by Mike Jones

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 35.1°F (-9.4°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 44.5°F
  • Total population: 950,203
 

7. Cape Coral, FL

Pexels / Photo by Monica Silvestre

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 44.3°F (-9.6°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 53.8°F
  • Total population: 198,912
 

6. Port St. Lucie, FL

Pexels / Photo by Nur Andi Ravsanjani Gusma

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 44.2°F (-9.6°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 53.8°F
  • Total population: 210,520
 

5. Evansville, IN

Pexels / Photo by Rich Howard

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 15.8°F (-11.1°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 26.9°F
  • Total population: 116,906
 

4. Lakeland, FL

Pexels / Photo by Rene Ferrer

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 38.4°F (-11.1°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 49.6°F
  • Total population: 114,404
 

3. Palm Bay, FL

Pexels / Photo by bin Ziegler

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 41.2°F (-11.3°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 52.5°F
  • Total population: 121,513
 

2. Gainesville, FL

Pexels / Photo by Jack S.

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 32.1°F (-11.7°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 43.8°F
  • Total population: 142,414
 

1. Spring Hill, FL

Pexels / Photo by Jacob Evans

  • Minimum forecast temperature, December 2-5: 34.1°F (-13.6°F below normal)
  • Historical minimum temperature, December 1901-2000: 47.6°F
  • Total population: 116,882
 


  1. Finding a fiduciary financial advisor doesn't have to be hard. SmartAsset's free tool matches you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area in 5 minutes.
  2. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Get on the path toward achieving your financial goals!
More from ClimateCrisis 247