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A cold wave is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by marked cooling of the air, or the invasion of very cold air, over a large area. It can also be a prolonged period of excessively cold weather, which may be accompanied by high winds that cause excessive wind chills, leading to weather that seems even colder than it is. Cold waves can be preceded or accompanied by significant winter weather events, such as blizzards or ice storms. Other names for a cold wave include "cold snap" and "deep freeze". Image File history File links Broom_icon. ...
Look up Blizzard in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Ice storm could refer to: A type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain. ...
Effect on persons and economic activity Exposure to extreme and especially unexpected cold can lead to hypothermia and frostbite, which require medical attention due to the hazards of tissue damage and organ failure. They can cause death and injury to livestock and wildlife. Exposure to cold mandates greater caloric intake for all animals, including humans, and if a cold wave is accompanied by heavy and persistent snow, grazing animals may be unable to reach needed food and die of hypothermia or starvation. They often necessitate the purchase of foodstuffs at considerable cost to farmers to feed livestock. Hypothermia refers to any condition in which the temperature of a body drops below the level required for normal metabolism and/or bodily function to take place. ...
Frostbite (congelatio in medical terminology) is the medical condition whereby damage is caused to skin and other tissues due to extreme cold. ...
Extreme winter cold often causes poorly insulated water pipelines and mains to freeze. Even some poorly-protected indoor plumbing ruptures as water expands within them, causing much damage to property and costly insurance claims. Demand for electrical power and fuels rises dramatically during such times, even though the generation of electrical power may fail due to the freezing of water necessary for the generation of hydroelectricity. Some metals may become brittle at low temperatures. Motor vehicles may fail as antifreeze fails and motor oil gels, resulting even in the failure of the transportation system. To be sure, such is more likely in places like Siberia and much of Canada that customarily get very cold weather. Thermal insulation on the Huygens probe The term thermal insulation can refer to materials used to reduce the rate of heat transfer, or the methods and processes used to reduce heat transfer. ...
A plumber wrench for working on pipes and fittings Plumbing, from the Latin for lead (plumbum), is the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures for potable water systems and the drainage of waste. ...
Fuel imports in 2005 Fuel is any material that is capable of releasing energy when its chemical or physical structure is altered. ...
Hydroelectricity is the worlds leading renewable energy source. ...
Antifreeze is used in internal combustion engines, and for many other heat transfer applications, such as electronics cooling and chillers for HVAC. Compounds are added to water to reduce the freezing point of the mixture to below the lowest temperature that the system is likely to be exposed to, and...
It has been suggested that Western Siberia be merged into this article or section. ...
Fires, paradoxically, become even more of a hazard during extreme cold. Water mains may break and water supplies may become unreliable, making firefighting more difficult. The air during a cold wave is typically more dense and any cold air that a fire is is likely to cause a more intense fire because the colder, denser air that the fire draws in contains more oxygen. Firefighter with an axe A firefighter, sometimes still called a fireman though women have increasingly joined firefighting units, is a person who is trained and equipped to put out fires, rescue people and in some areas provide emergency medical services. ...
Winter cold waves that aren't considered cold in some areas, but cause temperatures significantly below average for an area, are also destructive. Areas with subtropical climates may recognize unusual cold, perhaps barely-freezing, temperatures, as a cold wave. In such places, plant and animal life is less tolerant of such cold as may appear rarely. The same winter temperatures that one associates with the norm for Kentucky, northern Utah, or Bavaria would be catastrophic to winter crops in southern Florida, southern Arizona, or southern Italy that might be grown for wintertime consumption farther north, or to such all-year tropical or subtropical crops as citrus fruits. Likewise, abnormal cold waves that penetrate into tropical countries in which people do not customarily insulate houses or have reliable heating may cause hypothermia and even frostbite. Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area Ranked 37th - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²) - Width 140 miles (225 km) - Length 379 miles (610 km) - % water 1. ...
This article is about the U.S. state. ...
For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ...
Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area Ranked 22nd - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²) - Width 361 miles (582 km) - Length 447 miles (721 km) - % water 17. ...
Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ...
Species & major hybrids Species Citrus maxima - Pomelo Citrus medica - Citron Citrus reticulata - Mandarin & Tangerine Major hybrids Citrus x aurantifolia - Lime Citrus x aurantium - Bitter Orange Citrus x bergamia - Bergamot Citrus x hystrix - Kaffir Lime Citrus x ichangensis - Ichang Lemon Citrus x limon - Lemon Citrus x limonia - Rangpur Citrus x paradisi...
Cold waves that bring unexpected freezes and frosts during the growing season in mid-latitude zones can kill plants during the early and most vulnerable stages of growth, resulting in crop failure as plants are killed before they can be harvested economically. Such cold waves have caused famines. At times as deadly to plants as drought, cold waves can leave a land in danger of later brush and forest fires that consume dead biomass. One extreme was the so-called Year Without a Summer of 1816, one of several years during the 1810s in which numerous crops failed during freakish summer cold snaps after volcanic eruptions that reduced incoming sunlight. Look up Harvest in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
A famine is a social and economic crisis that is commonly accompanied by widespread malnutrition, starvation, epidemic and increased mortality. ...
Fields outside Benambra, Victoria suffering from drought conditions A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. ...
Fire in San Bernardino, California Mountains (image taken from the International Space Station) A wildfire, also known as a forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, or bushfire (in Australasia), is an uncontrolled fire in wildland often caused by lightning; other common causes are human carelessness and arson. ...
Development of global average temperatures during the last 1000 years. ...
This article is about volcanoes in geology. ...
Countermeasures In some places (like Siberia), extreme cold requires that fuel-powered machinery to be used even part-time must be run continuously. Internal plumbing can be wrapped, and persons can often run water continuously through pipes. Energy conservation, difficult as it is in a cold wave, may require such measures as collecting people (especially the poor and elderly) in communal shelters. Even the homeless may be arrested on trumped-up charges and taken to shelters, only to be released when the hazard abates. A homeless person in Paris. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
People can stock up on food, water, and other necessities before a cold wave. Some may even choose to migrate to places of milder climates, at least during the winter.
Suitable stocks of forage can be secured before cold waves for livestock, and livestock in vulnerable areas might be shipped from affected areas or even slaughtered. Smudge pots can bring smoke that prevents hard freezes on a farm or grove. Vulnerable crops may be sprayed with water that will paradoxically protect the plants by freezing and absorbing the cold from surrounding air. (The freezing of water releases heat that protects the fruit.) Smudge Pot A smudge pot is an oil-burning device used to prevent frost on fruit trees. ...
Hospitals can prepare for the admission of victims of frostbite and hypothermia; schools and other public buildings can be converted into shelters.
Most people can dress appropriately and can even layer their clothing should they need to go outside or should their heating fail. They can also stock candles, matches, flashlights, and portable fuel for cooking and wood for fireplaces or wood stoves, as necessary. However caution should be taken as the use of charcoal fires for cooking or heating within an enclosed dwelling is extremely dangerous due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after the inhalation of carbon monoxide gas. ...
Adults must remain aware of the exposure that children and the elderly have to cold.
Modern cold waves (2000-date)
2007 North American cold wave All of Canada and most of the United States underwent a freeze after a two-week warming that took place in late March & early April. Crops froze, wind picked up, and snow drizzled much of the United States.
2005-2006 European cold wave Eastern Europe and Russia saw a very cold winter. Some of them saw their coldest on record or since the 1970s. Snow was an abundance in unusual places, such as in southern Spain and Northern Africa. All the winter months that season were well below average.
2004-2005 Southern Europe cold wave All areas of Southern Europe saw an unusually hard winter. This area saw an ice storm which have a 1 in 1000 chance of happening (need citation). This cold front caused snow in Algeria, which is extremely unusual. Ice storm could refer to: A type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain. ...
2004 January cold outbreak New England New England was near a record month when frequent Arctic fronts caused unusually cold weather. Boston was one of their coldest in 114 years. Virginia Beach had an unusually long period of below freezing weather. One area of New York saw 150 inches of snow in a month. Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area - City 232. ...
Part of the Virginia Beach oceanfront resort strip. ...
In physics and chemistry, freezing is the process whereby a liquid turns to a solid. ...
NY redirects here. ...
20th century cold waves (pre-2000)
1997 Northern Plains cold air Outbreak Mid January across the Northern U.S. was one of the windiest on record. With a low of around -40 °F in some places, wind caused bitterly cold wind chills sometimes nearing -80 °F. Northern parts of North Dakota saw up to 90 inches of snow. This was one of the most severe cold air outbreaks of the 1990s. Wind chill is the apparent temperature felt on the exposed human (or animal) body due to the combination of air temperature and wind speed. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area Ranked 19th - Total 70,762 sq mi (183,272 km²) - Width 210 miles (340 km) - Length 340 miles (545 km) - % water 2. ...
1996 Great Midwest cold outbreak Late January and early February was Northern Minnesota's coldest short term period on record. The record low of -60 °F was recored in Tower, Minnesota. Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area Ranked 12th - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 400 miles (645 km) - % water 8. ...
Tower is a city located in St. ...
1994 Northern US/Southern Canada cold outbreak January 1994 was the coldest month recorded over many parts of the northeast and north-central United States, as well as Southern Canada, or coldest since the late 1970s in some locations. Many overnight record lows were set. Cold outbreaks continued into February but the severity eased somehwat. The cold also extended further south than usual into Texas bringing snowfall and temperatures lower than -20 °F to parts of the state, Florida also experienced cold and snowfall, even once flurries were reported north of Miami and damage to the citrus crop in cenrtal Florida was extensive. Detroit, Michigan saw their coldest temperature since 1985. Nickname: Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Location in Wayne County, Michigan Coordinates: , Country United States State Michigan County Wayne County Founded 1701 Incorporation 1806 Government - Type Strong Mayor-Council - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D) Area - City 143. ...
1989 record cold start to December In 1989, the central and eastern USA saw one of the coldest Decembers on record. A white Christmas occurred. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
1985 Great Western cold air outbreak February 1985 saw the USA's third coldest temperature of -69 °F in Peter's Sink, Utah. About a month of severe cold affect a large part of the nation. 1985 became the fouth coldest year on record in the western USA. This article is about the U.S. state. ...
1983 Record cold December USA USA had its coldest ever Christmas in 1983. Severely cold winds blew in from Canada and about 70% of the month was colder than average. The 1980s saw the USA's coldest Decembers on record. Christmas is an annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. ...
1982 cold air outbreak January 1982 was very cold. The Super Bowl, held in Detroit was nicknamed the "Freezer Bowl" due to the -9 °F temperature and -55 °F wind chill. This event is also known as Cold Sunday The winning Super Bowl team receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy. ...
The Freezer Bowl was the 1982 AFC Championship Game between the San Diego Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals. ...
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. ...
1970s and 1910s The severe cold outbreak of 1912 caused the longest recorded period of below zero weather. The winter from 1916–1917 until 1917–1918 was very frigid across the USA. In the late 1970s most or all places in the Lower 48 had at least one winter with a memorable cold wave, and 1978-79 was the coldest winter on record in the lower 48, with every state seeing well below average temperatures. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Frigid may mean: very cold or icy chilly in manner; lacking affection or zeal frigidity, female sexual arousal disorder frigidity, inhibited sexual desire Frigid, a song by American singer Khanoda from the 1994 album, Lessons Learned On Leithgow St Frigid Zone, either of the two geographical zones of the earth...
The continental United States refers (except sometimes in U.S. federal law and regulations) to the largest part of the U.S. that is delimited by a continuous border. ...
See also Weather map showing cyclone centered in Colorado. ...
The Siberian Express is an area of very cold air that originates in Siberia. ...
Winter is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. ...
Temperature difference in Europe from the average during the European heat wave of 2003 A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. ...
Car in deep snow Cenarth falles in the winter of 1963 The winter of 1963 (also known as The Big Freeze of 1963) was one of the coldest winters ever recorded in Great Britain. ...
References - Environment Canada[1]
- Introduction to Meteorology and Related Sciences [2]
- NOAA [3]
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