Cold wave in the winter of 1984/85 in North America
The January 1985 cold spell was a meteorological event that affected large parts of the United States and Canada . Cold air of arctic origin was transported far to the south. Almost all areas of the North American east coast and Canada, where there were lows that reached record levels, were affected . It is noteworthy that the cold spell was preceded by an unusually warm December 1984.
Meteorological situation
From Sunday, January 20 to Tuesday, January 22, 1985, the polar vortex, together with a large-scale high pressure area , was able to direct polar air into large parts of the eastern United States. The air reached the American southern states on January 21 and January 22, causing a drop in temperature. On January 19, 1985, the cold air reached Chicago as one of the first major cities in the USA . There were measured -33 ° C at night. In addition, a wind was blowing at 11 m / s, which caused a perceived temperature of -61 ° C - a record that has remained unbroken to this day. After a correction in the calculation of the perceived temperature in 2001, a perceived temperature of -60 ° C could be calculated for that night in Chicago.
In St. Louis and Pittsburgh the thermometer dropped to -28 ° C, in Cincinnati to -29 ° C. In Memphis , further south, the temperature was -20 ° C. On January 21, 1985 in the small town of Akron , Ohio, -31 ° C was measured. On the way south, it brought very low temperatures to the places on the Atlantic coast. In Central Park of New York -19 ° C was measured on the morning of January 21, in Washington DC -20 ° C.
The eastern southern states were far less prepared for the cold air than the north. In Nashville , the thermometer dropped to -27 ° C, which is not an all-time record. This was measured primarily in regions further south. Charlotte in North Carolina reported a record with -21 ° C as did Macon in Georgia with -21 ° C. Even in Florida , the cold air did not stand still and ensured -14 ° C in Jacksonville and -12 ° C in Gainesville. In South Florida at the airport in Miami on the morning of January 22, 1985 a temperature of -1 ° C was measured for the first time since 1977 in the frost range.
Effects and damage
At least 126 people died as a result of the cold spell. 90% of Florida citrus orchards fell victim to the frost . This alone caused $ 1.2 billion in damage. The inauguration of the re-elected US President Ronald Reagan was hampered by the cold spell . The mandatory parade was canceled due to the cold weather.
Further development
A week later, at the beginning of February 1985, a new cold spell this time reached the further western parts of the USA. The states of Montana and Utah as well as Colorado were particularly affected . Here, too, all-time lows were reached. In the state of Utah there was on February 1, 1985 with -56 ° C, the second coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States outside of Alaska .