BRRR: States That Reported All-Time Record Lows in December

The official start of winter is weeks away, but for much of the country, the coldest season of the year arrived early. In the early days of December, a blast of Arctic air swept across large swaths of the Midwest and Northeast, exposing millions of Americans to sub-zero and single digit temperatures. The polar vortex has already broken or tied daily record lows in parts of Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota – a state where the mercury plunged to -18°F in the city of Aberdeen. 

The frigid temperatures now engulfing much of the country mark a stark departure from historic norms. Over the 100 year period from 1901 to 2000, the average December temperature in the continental U.S. was 32.7°F, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In many northern states, including those where temperatures are setting new daily records this week, freezing temperatures are common throughout December. 

Still, on average, January is the coldest month in the United States. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. was -80°F. The historic low was reported on January 23, 1971 in Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska. In the Lower 48, the all-time record low of -70°F was reported in Rogers Pass, Montana, 17 years earlier – also in January. Indeed, in a majority of the 50 states, record low temperatures were either set or matched in the month of January.

But, as the current low pressure system demonstrates, December can also bring extreme cold – and in a handful of states, the lowest temperatures in history were recorded in the month of December. 

Using data from NOAA’s State Climate Extremes Committee, Climate Crisis 247 identified the states that reported record-breaking cold in December. We listed every state where the lowest known temperature was recorded in the month of December. All supplemental data, including average historical temperatures, are also from NOAA. States are listed in alphabetical order. 

Of the five states on this list, all-time lows range from -32°F to -50°F. In each of these places, record-breaking cold was reported in the second half of December. 

In three of these states – located in the Midwest, New England, and Pacific Northwest – December tends to be a colder month than it is in much of the rest of the country. Notably, however, for the two Southern states on this list, December temperatures have historically been higher than the national average

Nebraska

• Coldest temperature ever recorded in the state: -47°F
• Date of record low temperature: December 22, 1989
• Weather station(s) where all-time low was recorded: Oshkosh, Garden County (approx. 3,390 ft. above sea level)
• Average December temperature in the state, 1901-2000: 25.3°F (7.4°F colder than avg. December temperature in continental U.S.)

Tennessee

• Coldest temperature ever recorded in the state: -32°F
• Date of record low temperature: December 30, 1917
• Weather station(s) where all-time low was recorded: Mountain City, Johnson County (approx. 2,503 ft. above sea level)
• Average December temperature in the state, 1901-2000: 39.2°F (6.5°F warmer than avg. December temperature in continental U.S.)

Vermont

• Coldest temperature ever recorded in the state: -50°F
• Date of record low temperature: December 30, 1933
• Weather station(s) where all-time low was recorded: Bloomfield, Essex County (approx. 1,040 ft. above sea level)
• Average December temperature in the state, 1901-2000: 20.2°F (12.5°F colder than avg. December temperature in continental U.S.)

Washington

• Coldest temperature ever recorded in the state: -48°F
• Date of record low temperature: December 30, 1968
• Weather station(s) where all-time low was recorded: Winthrop, Okanogan County (approx. 1,749 ft. above sea level); Mazama, Okanogan County (approx. 2,141 ft. above sea level)
• Average December temperature in the state, 1901-2000: 30.6°F (2.1°F colder than avg. December temperature in continental U.S.)

West Virginia

• Coldest temperature ever recorded in the state: -37°F
• Date of record low temperature: December 30, 1917
• Weather station(s) where all-time low was recorded: Lewisburg, Greenbrier County (approx. 2,300 ft. above sea level)
• Average December temperature in the state, 1901-2000: 33.1°F (0.4°F warmer than avg. December temperature in continental U.S.)