Northeastern Winter Storm/Cold Wave

Losses, 2024 dollars

$1.8 billion

Losses at the time

$1.8 billion

Deaths

1

The losses and deaths are NCEI’s, counting everything the disaster did. The episodes below are only what the Weather Service filed in its Storm Events record, which counts damage differently and often not at all, so the two never add up and are shown apart.

• Winter Weather in Virginia, January 31, 20233 eventsA wave of wintry precipitation developed to the north of an area of low pressure with temperatures falling below freezing. This resulted in a period of freezing drizzle which then changed to snow.
• Winter Weather in West Virginia, January 31, 20238 eventsA wave of wintry precipitation developed to the north of an area of low pressure with temperatures falling below freezing. This resulted in a period of freezing drizzle which then changed to snow.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, February 1, 20236 eventsA wave of wintry precipitation developed to the north of an area of low pressure with temperatures falling below freezing. This resulted in a period of freezing drizzle which then changed to snow.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, February 1 to 2, 20232 eventsAn Arctic air mass combined with a low pressure trough hanging over the area resulted in moderate lake effect snow accumulation and periods of considerable blowing snow across the Keweenaw Peninsula from the 1st through the 2nd.
• Winter Storm in Texas, February 1 to 2, 2023$84 million · 13 eventsA cold front brought a shallow layer of cold air. Warm, moist southeasterly flow above this cold air produced light freezing rain and freezing drizzle for several days.
• Winter Weather in Texas, February 1 to 2, 2023$2.8 million · 9 eventsA cold front brought a shallow layer of cold air. Warm, moist southeasterly flow above this cold air produced light freezing rain and freezing drizzle for several days.
• Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Tennessee, February 1 to 2, 2023$71,000 · 6 eventsThis is a continuation of the event that began at the end of January 2023. A complex weather pattern set up across Middle Tennessee beginning on January 31, 2023 which continued into early February.
• Ice Storm in Texas, February 1 to 2, 202338 eventsWarm/moist air rising above a sub-freezing arctic airmass generated freezing rain and sleet across much of North and Central Texas during the last few days of January through February 2nd.
• Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Arkansas, February 1 to 2, 202325 eventsFreezing rain continued into the early portion of February from a system that began in late January. Freezing rain ice accretion was most significant over portions of central and southern Arkansas.
• Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Tennessee, February 1 to 2, 202320 eventsAn arctic airmass settled over the Mid-South from late January into early February with a front stalled just south of the region.
• Winter Storm in Arkansas, February 1 to 2, 202310 eventsAn arctic airmass settled over the Mid-South from late January into early February with a front stalled just south of the region.
• Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Mississippi, February 1 to 2, 20239 eventsAn arctic airmass settled over the Mid-South from late January into early February with a front stalled just south of the region.
• Winter Weather in Texas, February 1 to 2, 20237 eventsA deep southwesterly flow aloft prevailed across the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley on January 30th-February 2nd, ahead of a strong upper level low pressure system that drifted through Southern California, the Desert Southwest into Northern Mexico.
• Winter Weather in Arkansas, February 1 to 2, 20235 eventsA deep southwesterly flow aloft prevailed across the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley on January 30th-31st, ahead of a strong upper level low pressure system that drifted through Southern California, the Desert Southwest into Northern Mexico.
• Winter Storm in Texas, February 1 to 2, 20234 eventsA deep southwesterly flow aloft prevailed across the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley on January 30th-February 2nd, ahead of a strong upper level low pressure system that drifted through Southern California, the Desert Southwest into Northern Mexico.
• Winter Storm in Arkansas, February 1 to 2, 20232 eventsA deep southwesterly flow aloft prevailed across the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley on January 30th-February 2nd, ahead of a strong upper level low pressure system that drifted through Southern California, the Desert Southwest into Northern Mexico.
• Winter Weather in Arkansas, February 1 to 2, 20232 eventsA deep southwesterly flow aloft prevailed across the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley on January 30th-February 2nd, ahead of a strong upper level low pressure system that drifted through Southern California, the Desert Southwest into Northern Mexico.
• Winter Storm in Missouri, February 1 to 2, 20232 eventsAn arctic airmass settled over the Mid-South from late January into early February with a front stalled just south of the region.
• Winter Weather in Oklahoma, February 1 to 2, 20231 eventA deep southwesterly flow aloft prevailed across the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley on January 30th-February 2nd, ahead of a strong upper level low pressure system that drifted through Southern California, the Desert Southwest into Northern Mexico.
• Ice Storm in Texas, February 1 to 2, 20231 eventThis is a continuation of an event that began late January. Several consecutive days of wintry precipitation occurred from late January through early February. Temperatures tumbled 30-40 degrees behind an arctic cold front cold front from the 28th into the 29th.
• Extreme Cold in Minnesota, February 1, 20231 eventCold high pressure was in place across northern Minnesota on the morning of the 1st. Light winds at International Falls allowed wind chills to drop as low as -42F during the early morning hours.
• Ice Storm in Texas, February 1, 20232 eventsFreezing rain fell during the early morning hours of February 1 across portions of Burleson, Brazos, Madison, and Walker Counties. Significant icing was observed in Burleson and Madison Counties.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, February 1 to 2, 20231 eventCold air flowing across Lake Ontario within a deep upper level trough resulted in locally heavy lake effect snow bands impacting central Jefferson and western Lewis counties. The event lasted 18 hours.
• Ice Storm in Texas, February 1, 20233 eventsThe winter weather continued into February 1st across west central Texas due to overrunning of a shallow cold airmass and an upper level disturbance moving by. There was mainly minor ice/sleet accumulations. However, a few significant ice amounts were reported.
• Ice Storm in Oklahoma, February 1 to 2, 20232 eventsAn upper level disturbance translated from the Baja region of northwestern Mexico into the Southern Plains on the 1st and 2nd, spreading precipitation across southeastern Oklahoma during the afternoon of the 1st through the morning of the 2nd.
• Winter Weather in Alabama, February 1, 20231 eventA band of precipitation across northwest Alabama fell in the form of light freezing rain and sleet in northern and western portions of Lauderdale County, north and west of the Florence area. Light ice and sleet accumulations were reported.
• Winter Weather in Oklahoma, February 1 to 2, 20232 deaths · 1 injured · 2 eventsA cold airmass was entrenched across the area on the 1st as an upper low approached the region. Light freezing rain, generally less than a tenth of an inch, fell across central and southern Oklahoma from the afternoon of the 1st through early morning hours on the 2nd.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, February 1 to 2, 20231 eventA small low tracked north across the region producing quickly accumulating snow across the Juneau area followed by persistent showers.
• Winter Weather in Michigan, February 2 to 3, 20231 eventModerate lake effect snow and whiteouts due to considerable blowing snow from northwest winds gusting as high as 45-50 mph closed Highway M-28 from Chocolay Township in Marquette County to Munising from the afternoon of the 2nd into the afternoon of the 3rd.
• Extreme Cold and Strong Wind in New York, February 2 to 4, 2023$6,000 · 46 eventsA brief but powerful Arctic airmass moved across the region on February 3-4, 2023 which brought dangerously low wind chill values to much of the region along with strong wind gusts.
• Extreme Cold in Minnesota, February 2 to 3, 20237 eventsAn expansive area of cold high pressure settled over the region the night of the 2nd into the morning of the 3rd. Air temperatures fell into the 20s and 30s below zero F and light winds led to wind chills in the 40s and 50s F below zero.
• Extreme Cold in Minnesota, February 2 to 3, 20233 eventsAn arctic air mass with temperatures in the teens below zero spread across southeast Minnesota at the start of February. These temperatures, combined with wind speeds near 10 mph, produced dangerously cold wind chills around 35 below zero during the early morning of February 3rd.
• Cold and Winter Weather in Michigan, February 3, 202312 eventsA surge of Arctic air across Upper Michigan on the heels of west to northwest winds caused widespread dangerously cold wind chills across much of Upper Michigan on the morning of the 3rd.
• Extreme Cold and Winter Weather in Maine, February 3 to 4, 202319 eventsAn Arctic cold front crossed the region during the early morning hours of the 3rd. Temperatures rapidly fell through the 3rd in the wake of the front.
• Extreme Cold and Strong Wind in Vermont, February 3 to 4, 20236 eventsA brief but powerful arctic airmass moved across the region on February 3-4, 2023 which brought dangerously low wind chill values to much of the region along with strong wind gusts.
• Cold in New York, February 3 to 4, 20233 eventsThe coldest air mass of the season behind an arctic front resulted in bitterly cold temperatures and dangerously low wind chill values, especially east of Lake Ontario. The extreme cold was relatively short-lived.
• Extreme Cold in New York, February 3 to 4, 20239 eventsAn arctic airmass entered northern New York during the early morning hours of February 3rd (Friday) and continued through the evening hours of February 4th (Saturday).
• Winter Weather in Alabama, February 3, 20232 eventsPatchy black ice developed, especially on bridges and overpasses, during the early morning hours. This resulted in very slippery conditions in some areas during the morning commute.
• Extreme Cold in Vermont, February 3 to 4, 202317 eventsAn arctic airmass entered Vermont during the morning hours of February 3rd (Friday) and continued through the evening hours of February 4th (Saturday).
• Extreme Cold and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, February 3 to 4, 20234 eventsA brief but powerful arctic airmass moved across the region on February 3-4, 2023 which brought dangerously low wind chill values to much of the region along with strong wind gusts.
• Cold in Virginia, February 3 to 4, 20233 eventsA cold northwest wind behind an arctic cold front caused wind chills to continue to range between -10 and -20 degrees during the afternoon of the 3rd into the morning of the 4th.
• Cold in West Virginia, February 3 to 4, 20231 eventA cold northwest wind behind an arctic cold front caused wind chills to continue to range between -10 and -20 degrees during the afternoon of the 3rd into the morning of the 4th.
• Cold in Maryland, February 3 to 4, 20231 eventA cold northwest wind behind an arctic cold front caused wind chills to continue to range between -10 and -20 degrees during the afternoon of the 3rd into the morning of the 4th.
• Extreme Cold in Maine, February 3 to 4, 202318 eventsEarly on the 2nd a tropopause polar vortex (TPV) was dislodged from its position over Hudson Bay. Over time temperatures within the TPV had become very cold, with mid level temperatures around -40 degrees Celsius.
• Extreme Cold and Strong Wind in Connecticut, February 3 to 4, 2023$2,000 · 3 eventsA brief but powerful arctic airmass moved across the region on February 3-4, 2023 which brought dangerously low wind chill values to much of the region along with strong wind gusts.
• Extreme Cold in New Hampshire, February 3 to 4, 202315 eventsEarly on the 2nd a tropopause polar vortex (TPV) was dislodged from its position over Hudson Bay. Over time temperatures within the TPV had become very cold, with mid level temperatures around -40 degrees Celsius.
• Blizzard in Alaska, February 3 to 5, 20232 eventsA strong front moving north through the Bering Sea brought strong winds and falling snow, causing low visibility and low wind chills to the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea Coast.
• Cold in Pennsylvania, February 3 to 4, 20231 eventAn Arctic cold front passed through the region on the 3rd ushering a cold and dry airmass along with windy conditions. Low temperatures on the 4th were well into the single digits to below zero in the higher elevations.
• Cold in New Jersey, February 3 to 4, 20231 eventAn Arctic cold front passed through the region on the 3rd ushering a cold and dry airmass along with windy conditions. Low temperatures on the 4th were well into the single digits to below zero in the higher elevations.
• Cold in West Virginia, February 3 to 4, 20231 eventElevated wind gusts, due to wave activity, and a lingering cold air mass (850mb temps dropped below -18 Celsius) created dangerous wind chill temperatures in the ridges of eastern Tucker.
• Extreme Cold in Connecticut, February 4, 20232 eventsArctic Air from a 1040+ mb high pressure system built into the region from the west providing strong N to NW winds and sub zero temperatures to NE portions of Southern Connecticut. An arctic cold front passed through the region during the morning of February 3, 2023.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in California, February 4 to 5, 20232 eventsA winter storm in early February brought widespread rain with heavy mountain snow for the northern Sierra, which along with gusty winds brought mountain travel impacts.
• Winter Weather in Alaska, February 4 to 5, 20232 eventsA strong low pressure system moved up from the North Pacific past Kodiak Island and into the Kenai Peninsula on 2/5, with very strong winds over the Gulf spreading into parts of Bristol Bay and the Kenai Peninsula.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in California, February 4 to 6, 2023103 kt wind · 6 eventsA colder and wetter system brought periods of moderate to heavy snow and breezy conditions to the Sierra, northeast CA, and western NV. Storm total snow across much of the Sierra and the Lake Tahoe basin saw a foot or more of accumulated snow.
• Heavy Snow and High Wind in Nevada, February 4 to 6, 202399 kt wind · 4 eventsA colder and wetter system brought periods of moderate to heavy snow and breezy conditions to the Sierra, northeast CA, and western NV. Storm total snow across much of the Sierra and the Lake Tahoe basin saw a foot or more of accumulated snow.
• Winter Storm and Extreme Cold in Alaska, February 4 to 7, 20233 eventsA low near Point Hope and high pressure north of the Arctic Coast of Alaska produced strong northeast winds and low wind chills.
• Heavy Snow in California, February 4 to 5, 20231 eventLow pressure moved southeast into Oregon. An associated cold front swept across the region with high elevation snow for northern California.
• Heavy Snow in Oregon, February 5 to 6, 20232 eventsA negatively tilted upper-level trough and cold frontal boundary brought periods of heavy snow to the eastern Mountains followed by a period of favorable up-slope flow later on Feb 5th into the 6th once the trough axis passed over the CWA.
• Heavy Snow in Washington, February 5 to 6, 20231 eventA negatively tilted upper-level trough and cold frontal boundary brought periods of heavy snow to the eastern Mountains followed by a period of favorable up-slope flow later on Feb 5th into the 6th once the trough axis passed over the CWA.
• Winter Storm in Idaho, February 5 to 6, 20231 eventA round of snow and wind closed state highway 32 from Ashton to Tetonia.
• Heavy Snow in Utah, February 5 to 6, 20232 eventsSnow was observed for much of Utah, with more than a foot of accumulation in portions of the Cottonwoods.
• Heavy Snow in Alaska, February 5 to 6, 20233 eventsA front moved over the panhandle from the west with increasing rates that caused snow to accumulate even at temperatures above freezing, then becoming mixed or changing to rain near sea level.
• Winter Weather in Colorado, February 5 to 6, 20232 eventsA shortwave disturbance in the northwesterly flow brushed the northern mountains and produced a quick shot of moderate snowfall.
• Cold in Arizona, February 6, 20231 death · 1 eventLow temperatures in the mid to upper 20s with wind chills near 20 degrees resulted in cold that was 15 to 20 degrees below the normal low temperature for February 6.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2023Tornadoes in 2023

NOAA NCEI, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025), https://doi.org/10.25921/stkw-7w73, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.