The Coldest Night of the Year: When to Expect It in Your State

The longest night and the coldest night do not always arrive together. Here is what the climate record reveals about winter’s timing across all 50 states.

The days are finally getting longer, but the thermometer keeps dropping. If you have ever wondered why January can feel colder than December—or whether your area reaches its winter low before the holidays—the answer starts with where you live.

Much of the eastern United States reaches its coldest average nights in January, while many western locations reach theirs in December. NOAA’s climate analysis shows that winter’s temperature calendar changes considerably across the country. ncei.noaa.gov

There is no single date that fits every town in a state. But long-term weather records give us a useful starting point—and a few surprises.

What Is the Coldest Night of the Year on Average?

For this guide, the “coldest night” means the date with the lowest normal daily minimum temperature. Daily minimums usually occur overnight or near sunrise, although changing weather can produce a low at another time.

The dates below come from NOAA’s 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, which describe typical conditions over a 30-year period. They identify the bottom of the average annual temperature cycle. ncei.noaa.gov

That is different from averaging the dates of each year’s coldest night. It also does not predict which night will be coldest this winter. An individual cold outbreak can arrive well before or after the normal seasonal low.

The Coldest Night of the Year by State

To give readers in every state a concrete reference, we checked one weather station in each of the 50 states. Most are airport stations; New York’s reference is Central Park.

These are local station dates, not statewide averages. Your town’s timing may differ, particularly across coastlines, mountain ranges, and large states.

When several dates share the same lowest published normal temperature, the table shows the entire tied range. January 23–25, for example, means those three dates share the lowest normal low—not that every year’s coldest night falls within that window.

Source: Calculations from NOAA NCEI’s 1991–2020 daily station normals, selecting the lowest daily minimum-temperature normal and all tied dates at each reference station. ncei.noaa.gov

State	Reference location	Lowest normal low dates
Alabama	Birmingham	Jan. 15–22
Alaska	Anchorage	Jan. 9–15
Arizona	Phoenix	Dec. 20–27
Arkansas	Little Rock	Jan. 14–17
California	Sacramento Executive Airport	Dec. 20–24
Colorado	Denver	Dec. 19–23
Connecticut	Hartford area / Bradley Airport	Jan. 22–27
Delaware	Wilmington	Jan. 23–27
Florida	Orlando	Jan. 11–18
Georgia	Atlanta	Jan. 17–18
Hawaii	Honolulu	Jan. 15–24
Idaho	Boise	Dec. 26–30
Illinois	Chicago / O’Hare	Jan. 23–25
Indiana	Indianapolis	Jan. 21
Iowa	Des Moines	Jan. 18–24
Kansas	Wichita	Jan. 14–17
Kentucky	Louisville	Jan. 20–23
Louisiana	New Orleans	Jan. 13–16
Maine	Portland	Jan. 23–30
Maryland	Baltimore	Jan. 23–27
Massachusetts	Boston	Jan. 21–28
Michigan	Detroit	Jan. 24–27
Minnesota	Minneapolis–St. Paul	Jan. 19–26
Mississippi	Jackson	Jan. 14–19
Missouri	St. Louis	Jan. 16–23
Montana	Billings	Dec. 29–Jan. 5
Nebraska	Omaha	Jan. 14–21
Nevada	Las Vegas	Dec. 20–24
New Hampshire	Concord	Jan. 23–29
New Jersey	Newark	Jan. 22–27
New Mexico	Albuquerque	Dec. 26–31
New York	New York City / Central Park	Jan. 23–25
North Carolina	Raleigh–Durham	Jan. 15–18
North Dakota	Bismarck	Jan. 15–21
Ohio	Columbus	Jan. 23–24
Oklahoma	Oklahoma City	Jan. 12–16
Oregon	Portland	Dec. 21–31
Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	Jan. 21–28
Rhode Island	Providence	Jan. 24–27
South Carolina	Columbia	Jan. 9–19
South Dakota	Sioux Falls	Jan. 19–21
Tennessee	Nashville	Jan. 20–21
Texas	Dallas–Fort Worth	Jan. 8–13
Utah	Salt Lake City	Dec. 31–Jan. 11
Vermont	Burlington	Jan. 24–30
Virginia	Richmond	Jan. 20–27
Washington	Seattle–Tacoma	Dec. 18–22
West Virginia	Charleston	Jan. 20
Wisconsin	Milwaukee	Jan. 21–26
Wyoming	Cheyenne	Dec. 19–23

NOAA smooths its daily temperature normals, and neighboring dates can differ by only a fraction of a degree. Think of these windows as the bottom of a seasonal curve rather than a sharp boundary between colder and warmer weather.

Why Isn’t the Longest Night Always the Coldest?

The winter solstice brings the Northern Hemisphere’s shortest day and longest night. But the land, water, and atmosphere do not immediately finish cooling when daylight starts increasing.

This delay is called seasonal lag. In many places, the weak winter Sun still cannot replace all the heat being lost, so average temperatures continue falling after the solstice. The National Weather Service explains that this cooling process carries winter’s temperature minimum beyond the darkest part of the year. weather.gov

It is the winter counterpart to a familiar summer experience: the longest days arrive in June, but the hottest part of the year often comes later.

Three Surprises in the State-by-State Dates

Some Western Locations Bottom Out Around Christmas

In the stations we checked, Seattle–Tacoma reaches its lowest normal low December 18–22, Sacramento December 20–24, and Phoenix December 20–27. Those dates cluster around the solstice rather than the middle of January.

NOAA attributes the broader western pattern partly to Pacific air masses, clouds, and precipitation. Farther east, Canadian cold-air outbreaks and snow cover help shape a later seasonal minimum. ncei.noaa.gov

Late January Stands Out in the Northeast

New York City’s Central Park reaches its lowest normal low January 23–25. Boston’s window is January 21–28, while Burlington, Vermont, reaches its minimum January 24–30.

For those reference locations, the darkest part of the year has already passed by several weeks when average nighttime temperatures finally reach their lowest point.

“Coldest” Does Not Always Mean Freezing

In our station analysis, Honolulu’s lowest normal daily minimum is 66.6°F, occurring January 15–24. Bismarck’s is 1.9°F, occurring January 15–21.

The dates overlap, but the temperatures tell very different winter stories.

Those are normal lows, not records. An individual night can be much colder—or warmer—than the long-term average.

What Makes an Individual Night Especially Cold?

The calendar sets the seasonal background. The weather determines how cold a particular night becomes.

Clear skies, dry air, and light winds favor strong nighttime cooling. After sunset, the ground loses heat and cools the air immediately above it. Clouds emit infrared energy back toward the surface, while wind can mix that shallow cold layer with warmer air above. weather.gov

That helps explain why a quiet, clear night after a cold front can produce a sharp temperature drop. Strong winds bringing in colder air can also drive temperatures down, so calm weather is not a requirement for severe cold.

Can the Coldest Temperature Happen After Sunrise?

Yes. On a clear, calm morning, the temperature may continue falling briefly after sunrise. The first weak sunlight can be insufficient to offset the heat the surface is still losing.

University of Wisconsin–Madison atmospheric scientists explain that warming begins once incoming energy becomes strong enough to overcome that loss. Your morning thermometer reading may therefore capture the low after the night itself has ended. The Weather Guys

Does Passing the Average Coldest Date Mean Winter Is Over?

No. It marks a turning point in the average temperature cycle, not a deadline for Arctic air, freezing weather, or snow.

Think of these dates as a seasonal landmark. They help explain when your area typically reaches its winter low, while the forecast tells you what is approaching now.

For the season ahead, explore the Farmers’ Almanac winter weather outlook and long-range forecast for your region. For specific nighttime temperatures and current alerts, check your local National Weather Service forecast.

When does winter feel coldest where you live—before the holidays, during January, or later? Share your state and your coldest-weather memories in the comments.