Special Report

America's 50 Coldest Cities

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A pipeline of Arctic air in recent weeks led to one of the coldest two-week periods on record in the central and eastern United States. Wind chills reached minus 50 degrees and lower in some areas, and a handful of cities reported record low temperatures. The cold front hit cities from the northern Rockies to Texas to the Great Lakes and East Coast. From Christmas Day to Jan. 7, temperatures in New York City remained below 32 degrees — one of the longest cold stretches on record for the Big Apple.

While nearly two weeks of freezing temperatures may have been new to some New Yorkers, there are dozens of cities that spend more than half the year in sub 32-degree weather. A majority of these cities have record low temperatures below minus 45 degrees, and receive more than 60 inches of snow every year.

Using daily temperatures tracked over a 30-year period, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines the normal high and low temperatures for every month for over 250 cities. To identify America’s 50 coldest cities, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the minimum average temperature for the coldest month from 1981 to 2010 for every city with at least 10,000 residents with data from the NOAA.

Click here to see America’s 50 coldest cities.
Click here to see our detailed findings and methodology.

Missoula, Montana
Djembayz / Wikimedia Commons

50. Missoula, Montana
> Normal low in coldest month: 16.7° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -33° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 45.6 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 5.5 mph
> Population: 69,190

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Chicago, Illinois
Thinkstock

49. Chicago, Illinois
> Normal low in coldest month: 16.5° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -27° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 39.1 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 9.9 mph
> Population: 2,717,534

Pocatello, Idaho
Wikimedia Commons

48. Pocatello, Idaho
> Normal low in coldest month: 16.0° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -33° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 40.0 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 9.6 mph
> Population: 54,549

Kalispell, Montana
Thinkstock

47. Kalispell, Montana
> Normal low in coldest month: 15.8° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -38° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 60.6 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 5.0 mph
> Population: 21,142

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Syracuse, New York
Thinkstock

46. Syracuse, New York
> Normal low in coldest month: 15.7° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -26° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 113.9 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 8.3 mph
> Population: 144,564

Binghamton, New York
Wikimedia Commons

45. Binghamton, New York
> Normal low in coldest month: 15.7° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -20° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 84.0 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 8.9 mph
> Population: 46,495

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Milwaukee, Wisconsin 3
Thinkstock

44. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
> Normal low in coldest month: 15.6° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -26° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 48.3 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 10.2 mph
> Population: 599,498

Flint, Michigan
Flintmichigan / Wikimedia Commons

43. Flint, Michigan
> Normal low in coldest month: 15.3° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -25° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 48.3 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 9.1 mph
> Population: 99,802

Great Falls, Montana
Thinkstock

42. Great Falls, Montana
> Normal low in coldest month: 14.9° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -43° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 60.4 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 11.5 mph
> Population: 59,563

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Lincoln, Nebraska
Thinkstock

41. Lincoln, Nebraska
> Normal low in coldest month: 14.5° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -33° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 26.9 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 9.8 mph
> Population: 269,726

Albany, New York
Andy Arthur / Wikimedia Commons

40. Albany, New York
> Normal low in coldest month: 14.5° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -28° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 61.8 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 7.9 mph
> Population: 98,468

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Grand Island, Nebraska
Wikimedia Commons

39. Grand Island, Nebraska
> Normal low in coldest month: 14.4° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -28° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 29.2 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 11.1 mph
> Population: 50,582

Moline, Illinois
Kepper66 / Wikimedia Commons

38. Moline, Illinois
> Normal low in coldest month: 14.3° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -28° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 33.8 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 8.5 mph
> Population: 43,062

Pueblo, Colorado
David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons

37. Pueblo, Colorado
> Normal low in coldest month: 14.0° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -28° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 30.8 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 8.3 mph
> Population: 108,073

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Elko, Nevada
Famartin / Wikimedia Commons

36. Elko, Nevada
> Normal low in coldest month: 13.9° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -43° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 38.7 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 5.7 mph
> Population: 19,709

Omaha, Nebraska
Collinulness / Wikimedia Commons

35. Omaha, Nebraska
> Normal low in coldest month: 13.6° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -23° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 29.1 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 10.0 mph
> Population: 440,034

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Casper, Wyoming
Andrew Farkas / Wikimedia Commons

34. Casper, Wyoming
> Normal low in coldest month: 13.5° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -41° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 76.9 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 12.0 mph
> Population: 58,817

Rockford, Illinois
Jake Mackenzie / Wikimedia Commons

33. Rockford, Illinois
> Normal low in coldest month: 13.5° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -27° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 36.2 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 9.2 mph
> Population: 150,283

Portland Lighthouse, Maine
Thinkstock

32. Portland, Maine
> Normal low in coldest month: 13.4° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -39° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 69.6 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 8.0 mph
> Population: 66,490

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Rapid City, South Dakota
Thinkstock

31. Rapid City, South Dakota
> Normal low in coldest month: 12.9° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -31° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 42.2 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 10.7 mph
> Population: 71,692

Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Bobak Ha'Eri / Wikimedia Commons

30. Scottsbluff, Nebraska
> Normal low in coldest month: 12.5° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -46° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 38.4 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 9.8 mph
> Population: 14,955

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Norfolk, Nebraska
Wikimedia Commons

29. Norfolk, Nebraska
> Normal low in coldest month: 12.1° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -30° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 29.8 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 10.7 mph
> Population: 24,393

Helena, Montana
Wikimedia Commons

28. Helena, Montana
> Normal low in coldest month: 11.9° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -42° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 43.8 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 6.9 mph
> Population: 29,600

Alpena, Michigan
by Dylan L. Tanner / Wikimedia Commons

27. Alpena, Michigan
> Normal low in coldest month: 11.4° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -37° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 75.8 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 7.7 mph
> Population: 10,273

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Des Moines, Iowa
by Dylan L. Tanner / Wikimedia Commons

26. Des Moines, Iowa
> Normal low in coldest month: 11.4° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -26° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 34.9 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 9.9 mph
> Population: 208,020

Dubuque, Iowa
DMichael Burns / Wikimedia Commons

25. Dubuque, Iowa
> Normal low in coldest month: 11.2° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -30° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 43.3 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 10.3 mph
> Population: 58,409

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Madison, Wisconsin
Daniel J Simanek / Wikimedia Commons

24. Madison, Wisconsin
> Normal low in coldest month: 11.1° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -37° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 44.5 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 8.3 mph
> Population: 243,122

North Platte, Nebraksa
Wikimedia Commons

23. North Platte, Nebraska
> Normal low in coldest month: 11.1° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -34° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 29.7 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 9.3 mph
> Population: 24,420

Anchorage, Alaska
Thinkstock

22. Anchorage, Alaska
> Normal low in coldest month: 11.1° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -34° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 73.7 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 7.0 mph
> Population: 299,107

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Sheridan, Wyoming
IreneWyo / Wikimedia Commons

21. Sheridan, Wyoming
> Normal low in coldest month: 10.6° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -37° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 73.1 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 7.2 mph
> Population: 17,775

Concord, New Hampshire
John Phelan / Wikimedia Commons

20. Concord, New Hampshire
> Normal low in coldest month: 10.4° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -37° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 65.1 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 6.0 mph
> Population: 42,537

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Sioux City, Iowa
Thinkstock

19. Sioux City, Iowa
> Normal low in coldest month: 10.2° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -26° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 33.4 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 10.4 mph
> Population: 82,792

Burlington, Vermont
Doug Kerr / Wikimedia Commons

18. Burlington, Vermont
> Normal low in coldest month: 10.2° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -30° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 80.4 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 8.3 mph
> Population: 42,570

downtown_waterloo_iowa
Stephen Cummings / Wikimedia Commons

17. Waterloo, Iowa
> Normal low in coldest month: 9.5° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -34° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 33.3 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 9.8 mph
> Population: 68,432

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Green Bay, Wisconsin
Thinkstock

16. Green Bay, Wisconsin
> Normal low in coldest month: 9.0° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -36° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 49.2 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 8.8 mph
> Population: 104,847

La Crosse-Onalaska, Wisconsin
Runner1928 / Wikimedia Commons

15. La Crosse, Wisconsin
> Normal low in coldest month: 8.9° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -37° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 42.4 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 8.6 mph
> Population: 51,993

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Rochester, Minnesota
Jonathunder / Wikimedia Commons

14. Rochester, Minnesota
> Normal low in coldest month: 7.7° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -40° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 44.8 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 12.2 mph
> Population: 110,275

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Kate Ter Haar / Wikimedia Commons

13. Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
> Normal low in coldest month: 7.6° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -37° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 118.3 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 7.8 mph
> Population: 14,048

Minneapolis, Minnesota
Thinkstock

12. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
> Normal low in coldest month: 7.5° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -34° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 49.4 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 9.7 mph
> Population: 694,993

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Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Wikimedia Commons

11. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
> Normal low in coldest month: 6.9° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -36° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 40.6 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 10.3 mph
> Population: 164,341

Huron, South Dakota
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdho/

10. Huron, South Dakota
> Normal low in coldest month: 6.6° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -43° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 36.2 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 10.4 mph
> Population: 13,159

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Marquette, Michigan
Darrell Harden / Wikimedia Commons

9. Marquette, Michigan
> Normal low in coldest month: 5.2° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -34° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 149.1 in.
> Avg. wind speed: N/A
> Population: 21,444

Bismarck, North Dakota
Thinkstock

8. Bismarck, North Dakota
> Normal low in coldest month: 2.2° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -44° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 45.3 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 9.4 mph
> Population: 66,980

St. Cloud, Minnesota
Elkman / Wikimedia Commons

7. St. Cloud, Minnesota
> Normal low in coldest month: 1.8° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -43° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 44.7 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 8.3 mph
> Population: 66,298

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Aberdeen, South Dakota
Wikimedia Commons

6. Aberdeen, South Dakota
> Normal low in coldest month: 1.5° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -46° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 38.8 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 10.7 mph
> Population: 27,418

Duluth, Minnesota
Thinkstock

5. Duluth, Minnesota
> Normal low in coldest month: 1.5° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -39° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 83.1 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 10.1 mph
> Population: 86,178

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Fargo, North Dakota 2
Thinkstock

4. Fargo, North Dakota
> Normal low in coldest month: 0.1° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -39° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 42.3 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 11.1 mph
> Population: 113,464

Williston, North Dakota
Andrew Filer / Wikimedia Commons

3. Williston, North Dakota
> Normal low in coldest month: 0.1° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -50° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 35.8 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 9.2 mph
> Population: 22,051

Grand Forks, North Dakota
Wikimedia Commons

2. Grand Forks, North Dakota
> Normal low in coldest month: -3.1° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -43° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 41.6 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 10.2 mph
> Population: 54,944

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Fairbanks, Alaska
https://www.flickr.com/photos/11127719@N04/

1. Fairbanks, Alaska
> Normal low in coldest month: -16.9° F
> Lowest temp. on record: -66° F
> Annual avg. snowfall: 64.5 in.
> Avg. wind speed: 4.4 mph
> Population: 32,193

Detailed Findings & Methodology

Six of these 50 cities — Flint, Michigan; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Duluth, Minnesota; Rockford, Illinois; Waterloo, Iowa; and Lincoln, Nebraska — reported the coldest Dec. 23 through Jan 5. period on record in the past two weeks. Lincoln experienced a low of minus 17 degrees on Dec. 27, the city’s record for the day, and Flint set a daily record low on Jan. 5, when the temperature reached 10 degrees below zero.

Most of the cities on this list are located in the Midwest, with the top 10 coldest cities mostly in Minnesota and the Dakotas. Overall, the list includes cities from 19 states. Six of the 50 coldest cities are in Nebraska — the most in any state.

The coldest cities not only have the lowest temperatures, but also the longest winters. While winter is considered to last for about 90 days, all of these cities have at least 120 days a year when temperatures drop below freezing. In Fairbanks, Alaska, the temperature is below 32 degrees 226 days a year.

In nearly one-third of the coldest cities, more than 5 feet of snow falls every year. Snow can be extremely costly for local governments. This is especially true in dense urban areas where snow needs to be fully removed and not just pushed to the side of the road.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota — which gets over four feet of snow annually — snow removal can cost $202,000 per inch, according to local reports. In the 2013-2014 winter season, Minneapolis spent $136 million on snow removal, up from $62 million in the previous winter season.

Extremely cold climates can be dangerous to those not wearing appropriate clothing. When wind speeds are high, humans and animals feel even lower temperatures due to the wind chill effect. In Fargo, North Dakota, a relatively windy area, the average wind speed is 11.1 miles per hour. With the wind chill, Fargo’s average low temperature of 0.1 degrees in January feels like minus 16.7 degrees.

In extremely low temperatures, even calm winds have dramatic effects. In Fairbanks, the average wind speed is only 4.4 miles per hour. Still, with the wind chill, the average low temperature of minus 16.9 degrees feels like minus 29.2 degrees. According to the NOAA, frostbite can occur within only 30 minutes in these conditions.

To determine America’s 50 coldest cities, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the minimum average temperature for each city’s coldest month between 1981 and 2010 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The cities listed have medium to large populations and are near weather stations, also known as Local Climatological Data stations. Record low temperatures, average annual snowfall, and average wind speed come from NOAA’s 2015 Comparative Climatic Data report. The record low temperature and average annual snowfall for Marquette, Michigan is from 2012, the most recent data available for the city. We also used population data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015 American Community Survey to ensure each city has at least 10,000 residents.

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