![January 21, 1985 temperature map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/January_21%2C_1985_temperature_map.jpg)
The 1985 North America cold wave
was a meteorological event which occurred in
January, 1985, as a result of the shifting of the
polar vortex
A circumpolar vortex, or simply polar vortex, is a large region of cold, rotating air that encircles both of Earth's polar regions. Polar vortices also exist on other rotating, low-obliquity planetary bodies. The term polar vortex can be used to ...
farther south than is normally seen.
Blocked from its normal movement, polar air from the north pushed into nearly every section of the central and eastern half of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, shattering record low temperature records in a number of areas.
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
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...
, a meteorological event known as a mobile
polar high.
Mount Mitchell
Mount Mitchell, known in Cherokee as Attakulla, is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in mainland eastern North America. It is located near Burnsville in Yancey County, North Carolina in the Black Mountain sub ...
, in
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
recorded an all time record low of .
Meteorological synopsis
From Sunday, January 20, 1985 until Tuesday, January 22, 1985, the polar vortex, coupled with a large ridge of
high pressure
In science and engineering the study of high pressure examines its effects on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure. By ''high pressure'' is usually meant pressures of th ...
, moved polar air into the United States as far south as Arizona, Texas, and northern Florida.
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.
The Arctic air mass started moving into the United States on the evening of January 19 and into the morning of January 20, 1985. In
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, a record low of combined with winds, to produce a
wind chill of .
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
saw a low of , and
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
had a low of , the coldest morning since 1899.
[NWA Pittsburgh statistics](_blank)
/ref> In Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wi ...
, the morning temperature of tied for the fourth-lowest minimum temperature in the city's history, outdone by a cold mass the year before and a blizzard in 1977.[RECORDS FOR CINCINNATI](_blank)
/ref> Cleveland, Ohio fell to , which was at the time a record low.[Cleveland Normals and Records for January](_blank)
/ref> Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
recorded a low of , setting a record low for that day. Virginia's official record low temperature of was also set on this day in Pembroke, Virginia
Pembroke ( ) is a town in Giles County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,128 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Blacksburg– Christiansburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Pembroke is located at (37.321902, -80.6 ...
.[USA Today](_blank)
/ref>
As the cold air mass moved southeastward, it modified only slightly, resulting in frigid air for most of the East Coast of the United States starting on the morning of January 21, 1985. New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
's Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...
recorded a low of , breaking that date's record.[CENTRAL PARK NEW YORK CITY RECORDS 1869-2008](_blank)
/ref> Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport , sometimes referred to colloquially as National Airport, Washington National, Reagan National Airport, DCA, Reagan, or simply National, is an international airport in Arlington County, Virginia, across ...
recorded a low of and Washington Dulles Airport a low of on the morning of January 21.[DAILY NORMALS AND RECORDS FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY FOR WASHINGTON DC](_blank)
/ref> Farther south, Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke ( ) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 100,011, making it the 8th most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the largest city in Virginia west of Richmond. It is ...
, set a record low of . Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
dropped to , and Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...
recorded a record low of . All-time low temperature records were also set well into interior sections of the deep South, such as in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, where temperatures were recorded as low as ; Macon, Georgia, with a record low of ; and Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
with a record low of . Gainesville, Florida, with a low temperature of was its coldest temperature since the Great Blizzard of 1899
The Great Blizzard of 1899, also known as the Great Arctic Outbreak of 1899 and the St. Valentine's Day Blizzard, was an exceptionally severe winter weather event that affected most of the United States, particularly east of the Rocky Mountains ...
(when it had reached a low of ). Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
saw a low of , setting a record for the month of January as well as for the 20th century, and was only one degree shy of its all-time record (since 1878) set in February 1899.[Average Weather for Atlanta, GA](_blank)
/ref> Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, whose average low in late January is , recorded a record low of on January 21, 1985 and on January 22, 1985.
Impact and aftermath
The cold wave of January 1985 resulted in multiple human fatalities, the deaths of many wild and domesticated animals, massive crop losses, and infrastructure damage to homes, municipality sites and industrial sites. At least 126 deaths were recorded as being due to the cold wave of 1985. Approximately 90% of the citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...
crops in Florida were destroyed, in what the state called the "Freeze of the Century," resulting in Florida's citrus industry suffering $1.2 billion in losses ($2.68 billion in 2016 dollars).
The second presidential inauguration of U.S. President Ronald Reagan was held in the United States Capitol Rotunda
The United States Capitol rotunda is the tall central rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It has been described as the Capitol's "symbolic and physical heart". Built between 1818 and 1824, the rotunda is located below the ...
instead of outside, due to the cold weather, and the inaugural parade was cancelled. Since Inauguration Day fell on a Sunday, Ronald Reagan took a private oath on January 20, 1985 and the semi-public oath on January 21, 1985.
References
{{Cold wave
1985 natural disasters in the United States
1985 meteorology
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
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1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...