It may come as a surprise to many that Juneau and Anchorage in Alaska are not in the top ten coldest cities in the United States. In fact, only the northern inland Alaskan city of Fairbanks makes it into the top ten list (albeit as number one).
Instead, North Dakota dominates the list with 4 of the oldest cities in the USA (with a population of under 800,000 it can't have that many cities either). While one may not want to visit North Dakota (or South Dakota) in the winter, the badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park are worth it in the summer.
Chilliness Factor in The United States
The United States is a very large and diverse country and the weather and climate vary massively across the Union.
Even though Chicago has recently experienced its coldest temperature in 34 years on January 30, 2019, getting down to a brisk -23°F it is not even in the top ten coldest cities in the USA. Chicago was kind of colder than that as it is the Windy City, factoring in the wind chills it can reach anywhere from -30°F to -50°F.
- Coldest Recorded Temperature In The USA: Rogers Pass, Montana Reached -70°F on January 20, 1954
- Chicago: Often Feels Much Colder Than It Really Is
In the United States, the most extreme winter weather conditions are mostly felt in December and January. Some cities are better at handling these chilly bouts. In Canada, Toronto has a whole underground network of pedestrian passageways connecting the center of the city, while in Montreal there is virtually an entire city underground.
- In Canada: Toronto And Montreal Have Underground Passageways and Shopping Centers
Northern cites often laugh at the warmer southern ones when they have a cold snap and are completely unprepared to deal with it. For example in 2014 the massive city of Atlanta in Georgia had stranded students at school and the traffic was brought to a complete standstill with only 3 inches of snow.
Fairbanks The Coldest City In The USA
More accurately Fairbanks is the coldest "large" city in the United States with a population of around 33,000 inhabitants (it's respectable for Alaska). Fairbanks has monthly mean temperatures ranging from −8.3 °F in January to 62.9 °F in July.
- Located: 196 Miles (315 kilometers) by Road South of The Arctic Circle
If one was to live here one can expect a number of bitterly cold days as it enjoys (sic) on average 7 days a year with the temperatures plummeting to −40 °F. Temperatures start to decline in July!
- Fun Fact: −40 °F is the Same as in Celsius −40 °C
- Highest Recorded Temperate: In 1919 it Hit 99 °F In Fairbanks
- Lowest Temperate: −66 °F On January 14, 1934
One advantage that Fairbanks is the Aurora Borealis while the other 9 of the oldest cities in the United States largely lack them. In places like Grand Forks, North Dakota one can freeze and well freeze. But at least Fairbanks puts on one of nature's grandest displays while one freezes on these long cold winter nights.
- Northern Lights: Visible For 200 Days A Year
So great are the Northern Lights in Fairbanks that they are visible on average for more than 200 days a year. While it may be possible to see the Northern Lights from the other cities in this list, it is rare and more of a glow on the horizon and not the overhead magic of Fairbanks.
The Ten Coldest Cities In The USA
According to World Population Review, the ten coldest cities in the United States, based on minimum average temperature, are:
- Fairbanks, Alaska
- Grand Forks, North Dakota
- Williston, North Dakota
- Fargo, North Dakota
- Duluth, Minnesota
- Aberdeen, South Dakota
- St. Cloud, Minnesota
- Bismarck, North Dakota
- Marquette, Michigan
- Huron, South Dakota
Coldest Cities In The World
The coldest city in the world is widely identified as the fridged Siberian city of Yakutsk. It is said that no other place on Earth experiences temperatures that extreme. Temperatures in its brief summer can exceed 85°F, but then the winter comes in with a vengeance. Winter temperatures regularly fall to -40°F while the lowest recorded is -83°F.
- Coldest City: Yakutsk In Siberia in Russia
- Coldest Capital City: Ulaanbaater in Mongolia
- Ulaanbaatar Average Temperature: Averages Below Zero
The coldest capital city is the only true city in Mongolia of Ulaanbaatar. Here the politicians and the citizens endure exceptionally chilly winters with the average annual average for the year being below freezing.
The city has short but warm summers while the winters are bitterly cold and dry. Temperatures in January are as low as −33 to −40 °F. No wonder Mongolia has the lowest population density of any country in the world.