1985 North American cold wave

The 1985 North America cold wave[1] was a meteorological event which occurred in January 1985 as a result of the shifting of the polar vortex farther south than is normally seen.

[1] This was preceded by unusually warm weather in the eastern U.S. in December 1984, suggesting that there was a build-up of cold air that was suddenly released from the Arctic, a meteorological event known as a mobile polar high.

From Sunday, January 20, 1985, until Tuesday, January 22, 1985, the polar vortex, coupled with a large ridge of high pressure, moved polar air into the United States as far south as Arizona, Texas, and northern Florida.

[1] Unlike with cold-air systems, a pattern of self-modification did not immediately occur, and seasonable temperatures were absent for a number of days, a rarity in forecasting.

[11][12] The cold wave of January 1985 resulted in at least 126 human fatalities, the deaths of many wild and domesticated animals, massive crop losses, and widespread infrastructure damage.