Cold_Sunday_1982-01-17_temperature_map Cold_Sunday_1982-01-17_weather_map

Cold Sunday 1982

Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015

Meteorologists dubbed January 17, 1982 “Cold Sunday.” On that day a much of the United States experienced the coldest temperatures since weather records have been kept. The event was triggered by a high pressure system that formed over Saskatchewan Canada.  Snowfall in the region left the land with no way to retain its heat. Temperatures dropped precipitously and created a mass of cold air that moved south across the US.

Record low temperatures were documented. These included temperatures of −27°F in Chicago, −26°F in Milwaukee, −5°F in Washington, DC and −2°F in Birmingham, Alabama. The lowest temperature of −52°F was recorded near Tower, Minnesota. The temperature in Detroit that day was -9F.


To commemorate the City of Troy’s 60th Anniversary in 2015, we will publish a different story each day that highlights a person, discovery, or event that occurred locally, regionally, nationally, or even globally between 1955 and 2015 and that helped shape our lives and our community. We will try to post stories on important anniversary dates, but we also realize that dates are less critical than content and context. We will include the facts related to controversial stories, allowing our readers to form their own opinions. We invite you to read and comment on the stories. Your suggestions for topics are also welcome and can be posted on our Facebook page, www.troyhistoricvillage/facebook. You can also email stories or ideas to the 365 Story Editor at ed@thvmail.org.

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