Originating from the southward migration of the polar vortex after an arctic front passed through the continent in early January, the pattern persisted for much of the month, bringing a wide swath of wintery weather across the Lower 48 of the U.S., allowing snow and ice to accumulate in regions that do not see it much at all in the Deep South.

[6] The town of Rolla, North Dakota reached a wind chill of −54 °F (−47.8 °C) early on the morning of January 20.

Baton Rouge and Lake Charles also set a monthly all time record low of 7 °F (−13.9 °C) and 6 °F (−14.4 °C) for January respectively.

[10][11][12] Due to the freezing temperatures, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump announced on January 17 that his second inauguration ceremony would be moved indoors as a result, and would take place in the Capitol rotunda.

[3] Additionally, school closures were prominent in Manitoba due to wintry weather and extreme cold as well on January 20.