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Extreme Cold/Wind Chill

NOAA Storm Events type · 19,289 records since 2000 · 52 states and territories

The National Weather Service defines extreme cold/wind chill as: "A period of extremely low temperatures or wind chill temperatures reaching or exceeding locally/regionally defined warning criteria (typical value around -35°F or colder)." NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 19,289 extreme cold/wind chill records from 2000 through June 30, 2026, the most in Minnesota (2,915), with 287 deaths recorded.

How the National Weather Service files extreme cold/wind chill

A period of extremely low temperatures or wind chill temperatures reaching or exceeding locally/regionally defined warning criteria (typical value around -35°F or colder). If the event that occurred is considered significant, even though it affected a small area, it should be entered into Storm Data.
National Weather Service Instruction 10-1605, Storm Data Preparation (July 26, 2021), Appendix A, entry 13

Source: National Weather Service Instruction 10-1605. Read the instruction (PDF).

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, 2000 to 2026

Records per year (2026 to June 30, 2026).

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $10 million
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
  • $10 billion or more, or 1,000 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
Records
19,2892000 to June 30, 2026
Deaths
28753 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$467Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Counties with a record
2,436of 3,266

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026. Search the record at NCEI.

Where do extreme cold/wind chill records happen?

States

  1. Minnesota 2,915
  2. North Dakota 1,839
  3. South Dakota 1,388
  4. Iowa 1,153
  5. Georgia 1,043
  6. Nebraska 1,027
  7. Montana 704
  8. Wisconsin 675
  9. Illinois 633
  10. Missouri 572
  11. Pennsylvania 561
  12. New York 527
  13. West Virginia 465
  14. Texas 457
  15. Ohio 440

Counties

  1. St. Louis County, MN 180
  2. Walsh County, ND 120
  3. Marshall County, MN 111
  4. Polk County, MN 106
  5. North Slope Borough, AK 99
  6. Albany County, WY 98
  7. Cook County, MN 93
  8. Clearwater County, MN 87
  9. Carbon County, WY 84
  10. Beltrami County, MN 82

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).

When do extreme cold/wind chill records happen?

72% of its extreme cold/wind chill records since 2000 fell in January and February. The busiest month is January.

The values, month by month

Jan 8,812 · Feb 5,022 · Mar 693 · Apr 185 · May 101 · Jun 167 · Jul 15 · Aug 14 · Sep 209 · Oct 360 · Nov 137 · Dec 3,574 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

The deadliest extreme cold/wind chill records

The extreme cold/wind chill records with the most deaths
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2021-02-14 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillDallas County, TX · forecast zone Dallas Extreme cold gripped the county for several days. Overnight lows were near or below 20 degrees Fahrenheit almost all week. The period of February 15-16th was the coldest with low temperatures in the single digits, and the maximum temperature on the 15th was only in the mid teens. Wind chill values during the 14th-16th ... 10 0 $6.9M
2007-02-01 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCook County, IL · forecast zone Cook High temperatures were below freezing for the first 18 days of the month. February 4th and 5th were the coldest with high temperatures at Chicago Ohare Airport of only 2 above on the 4th and 5 above on the 5th. The coldest low temperature at Chicago Ohare Airport occurred on the morning of the 5th, 10 degrees below ... 10 0 –
2006-12-02 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCook County, IL · forecast zone Cook After the winter storm brought several inches of snow to northern Illinois, cold temperatures settled across the area. Low temperatures on the morning of the 3rd, 4th and 5th were in the single digits. A brief warm-up on the 6th, with low temperatures again in the single digits on the 7th and 8th. Seven people died ... 7 5 –
2021-02-15 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillTravis County, TX · forecast zone Travis Extreme cold temperatures and breezy winds combined to produce wind chill values of -5 to -10 degrees F. At least 3 of the fatalities are known to have occurred in a structure fire. 6 0 –
2008-01-22 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCook County, IL · forecast zone Cook Very cold air moved across northern Illinois during the middle of January. Low temperatures at Chicago O'Hare Airport reached -4 on the 24th and -5 on the 25th. Five people died due to cold exposure. 5 0 –
2024-01-14 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillShelby County, TN · forecast zone Shelby Wind chill values of 0 degrees to 15 below zero. Air temperature fell to 3 degrees below zero on the morning of the 17th. 4 0 –
2021-02-14 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillBexar County, TX · forecast zone Bexar Extreme cold temperatures and breezy winds combined to produce wind chill values of -5 to -10 degrees F. According to a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act request) to the Texas Department of State Health Services made in April 2021, information released showed one direct death from hypothermia and three indirect deaths ... 4 0 –
2014-01-06 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCook County, IL · forecast zone Cook An extremely cold arctic airmass settled over northern Illinois with minimum observed wind chills falling into the -40°F to -50°F range area-wide. Some of the coldest wind chill reports include Steward at -50°F; Aurora at -47°F; Rochelle at -47°F; DuPage at -46°F; Romeoville at -46°F; Rockford at -46°F; and O'Hare ... 4 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, deaths direct and indirect as filed.

The most recent extreme cold/wind chill records

To June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-02-10 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillYukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK · forecast zone South Slopes Of The Eastern Brooks Range 0 0 –
2026-02-08 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillDelaware County, NY · forecast zone Delaware 0 0 –
2026-02-08 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillMadison County, NY · forecast zone Madison 0 0 –
2026-02-08 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillOneida County, NY · forecast zone Northern Oneida 0 0 –
2026-02-08 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillOtsego County, NY · forecast zone Otsego 0 0 –
2026-02-08 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillWayne County, PA · forecast zone Southern Wayne 0 0 –
2026-02-08 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillLackawanna County, PA · forecast zone Lackawanna 0 0 –
2026-02-08 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillPike County, PA · forecast zone Pike 0 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

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