Cold Sunday

"Cold Sunday" was a meteorological event which took place on January 17, 1982, when unprecedentedly cold air swept down from Canada and plunged temperatures across much of the United States far below existing all-time record lows.

The phenomenon was caused by an unusually strong high pressure system over Saskatchewan with a core pressure of 1055mb (31.15 inHg), a level rarely seen outside of permanent polar areas such as Siberia and Antarctica.

A recent snowfall had left the ground without any way to hold on to its heat and temperatures dropped precipitously.

The lowest temperature recorded that day in the United States was −52 °F (−47 °C), measured near Tower, Minnesota.

Below is a partial list of cities which set all-time record low temperatures in the United States.

National Weather Service surface weather map from January 17, 1982.
National Weather Service high and low temperature map (Fahrenheit) from January 17, 1982.
National Weather Service 500 millibar height contour map from January 17, 1982.