Cold outbreak in United States, 9 to 20 December 2021
Cold outbreak in United States, 9 to 20 December 2021: 240 records at 185 stations, peak on 15 December 2021. Closed.
Data as of . Last revised (2026-10-12).
Key Facts
- Cold outbreak in United States, 9 to 20 December 2021 set or tied 240 station records at 185 stations.
- It ran from 9 December 2021 to 20 December 2021 (12 days) and its peak day was 15 December 2021.
- Status: closed.
- Mina set a daily record low maximum temperature of -6.1 C (21.0 F) on 19 December 2021.
- The busiest day was 15 December 2021 with 58 records.
- The oldest broken record in the ranked list had stood for 122 years.
Footprint
9 to 20 December 2021| Station | Type | Value | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mina | Record low maximum temperature | -6.1 C (21.0 F) | 2021-12-19 |
| Tonopah | Record low minimum temperature | -18.9 C (-2.0 F) | 2021-12-18 |
| Mancos 1SW | Record low maximum temperature | -3.3 C (26.1 F) | 2021-12-11 |
| Deseret | Record low maximum temperature | -8.3 C (17.1 F) | 2021-12-18 |
| Mesa Verde Np | Record low maximum temperature | -6.7 C (19.9 F) | 2021-12-11 |
| San Diego Intl AP | Record low minimum temperature | 3.3 C (37.9 F) | 2021-12-16 |
| Shasta Dam | Record low maximum temperature | 3.3 C (37.9 F) | 2021-12-20 |
| Gibbs Rch - Jarbidge 24SE | Record low maximum temperature | -6.1 C (21.0 F) | 2021-12-16 |
| Paso Robles | Record low maximum temperature | 8.3 C (46.9 F) | 2021-12-15 |
| Camarillo AP | Record low minimum temperature | 0.6 C (33.1 F) | 2021-12-12 |
| Tonopah AP | Record low maximum temperature | -3.8 C (25.2 F) | 2021-12-15 |
| Delta | Record low maximum temperature | -7.8 C (18.0 F) | 2021-12-18 |
| Alpine | Record low minimum temperature | -0.6 C (30.9 F) | 2021-12-16 |
| Jiggs 2NE | Record low minimum temperature | -30.0 C (-22.0 F) | 2021-12-18 |
Records per Day
Peak day 58| Date | Records |
|---|---|
| 2021-12-09 | 19 |
| 2021-12-10 | 30 |
| 2021-12-11 | 33 |
| 2021-12-12 | 13 |
| 2021-12-13 | 10 |
| 2021-12-14 | 24 |
| 2021-12-15 | 58 |
| 2021-12-16 | 16 |
| 2021-12-17 | 5 |
| 2021-12-18 | 16 |
| 2021-12-19 | 11 |
| 2021-12-20 | 5 |
Top Records by Margin
Margin over the record replaced| Mina, 12-19 | |
|---|---|
| Tonopah, 12-18 | |
| Jiggs 2NE, 12-18 | |
| Mesa Verde Np, 12-11 | |
| Shasta Dam, 12-20 | |
| Tonopah, 12-19 | |
| Tonopah, 12-17 | |
| Gibbs Rch - Jarbidge 24SE, 12-16 | |
| San Diego Intl AP, 12-16 | |
| Mancos 1SW, 12-11 | |
| Deseret, 12-18 | |
| San Diego Intl AP, 12-18 | |
| Camarillo AP, 12-12 | |
| Tonopah AP, 12-15 | |
| Tonopah, 12-15 |
Margin is how far the new value is beyond the record it replaced. Ties are not shown.
Margin Against Age of the Broken Record
| Margin (C) | Years the old record stood |
|---|---|
| 5.0 | 112 |
| 4.5 | 96 |
| 2.2 | 96 |
| 1.1 | 122 |
| 2.2 | 92 |
| 1.1 | 112 |
| 2.3 | 88 |
| 0.6 | 90 |
| 1.7 | 72 |
| 2.3 | 68 |
| 1.1 | 56 |
| 2.2 | 56 |
| 0.6 | 56 |
| 0.6 | 48 |
| 1.1 | 52 |
| 1.0 | 56 |
| 0.6 | 50 |
| 0.6 | 50 |
| 4.4 | 36 |
| 0.4 | 51 |
| 0.6 | 32 |
| 3.9 | 31 |
| 1.1 | 42 |
| 1.6 | 20 |
| 1.1 | 43 |
| 2.6 | 31 |
| 0.5 | 36 |
| 0.5 | 36 |
| 2.7 | 28 |
| 5.6 | 10 |
| 1.7 | 36 |
| 0.6 | 36 |
| 1.1 | 36 |
| 1.9 | 31 |
| 1.8 | 36 |
| 2.3 | 32 |
| 2.7 | 20 |
| 2.4 | 28 |
| 2.3 | 31 |
| 2.2 | 28 |
| 3.9 | 15 |
| 1.7 | 32 |
| 2.8 | 23 |
| 1.1 | 31 |
| 1.6 | 31 |
| 1.1 | 35 |
| 1.0 | 34 |
| 1.6 | 32 |
| 2.8 | 24 |
| 2.0 | 32 |
| 1.8 | 27 |
| 1.5 | 31 |
| 2.8 | 14 |
| 1.6 | 6 |
| 1.1 | 31 |
| 0.5 | 36 |
| 1.1 | 31 |
| 1.3 | 28 |
| 0.5 | 34 |
| 1.5 | 28 |
| 2.3 | 20 |
| 2.2 | 20 |
| 1.6 | 28 |
| 0.9 | 32 |
| 0.8 | 31 |
| 1.1 | 34 |
| 1.4 | 32 |
| 4.8 | 12 |
| 2.7 | 24 |
| 2.8 | 24 |
| 0.5 | 32 |
| 1.1 | 28 |
| 1.1 | 15 |
| 0.6 | 31 |
| 2.8 | 16 |
| 1.1 | 31 |
| 0.6 | 31 |
| 0.5 | 32 |
| 1.1 | 28 |
| 0.5 | 31 |
| 1.0 | 27 |
| 1.6 | 20 |
| 0.1 | 34 |
| 0.1 | 34 |
| 1.1 | 28 |
| 0.7 | 32 |
| 0.6 | 32 |
| 2.3 | 24 |
| 1.0 | 32 |
| 0.2 | 34 |
| 0.8 | 32 |
| 0.7 | 32 |
| 2.3 | 20 |
| 0.5 | 31 |
| 1.0 | 32 |
| 1.4 | 27 |
| 1.1 | 2 |
| 3.9 | 4 |
| 0.6 | 27 |
| 1.7 | 20 |
| 1.1 | 24 |
| 1.1 | 24 |
| 0.5 | 28 |
| 1.6 | 18 |
| 1.7 | 20 |
| 0.5 | 28 |
| 1.1 | 24 |
| 1.1 | 24 |
| 3.4 | 12 |
| 1.7 | 20 |
| 1.3 | 24 |
| 1.6 | 20 |
| 0.2 | 32 |
| 1.2 | 24 |
| 0.2 | 32 |
| 0.5 | 31 |
| 2.4 | 20 |
| 0.9 | 24 |
| 0.1 | 31 |
| 0.4 | 31 |
| 0.4 | 31 |
| 0.3 | 31 |
| 1.7 | 14 |
| 0.3 | 27 |
| 3.4 | 8 |
| 1.1 | 20 |
| 0.6 | 24 |
| 1.2 | 22 |
| 2.2 | 18 |
| 1.1 | 20 |
| 0.5 | 27 |
| 0.1 | 27 |
| 1.1 | 20 |
| 0.2 | 27 |
| 1.1 | 23 |
| 0.5 | 20 |
| 1.6 | 12 |
| 0.5 | 24 |
| 2.2 | 12 |
| 0.6 | 20 |
| 0.6 | 20 |
| 0.6 | 20 |
| 0.2 | 24 |
| 0.5 | 20 |
| 0.6 | 20 |
| 0.5 | 20 |
| 0.5 | 22 |
| 0.5 | 20 |
| 0.6 | 22 |
| 1.1 | 20 |
| 0.2 | 24 |
| 0.3 | 24 |
| 0.3 | 24 |
| 2.3 | 12 |
| 0.8 | 20 |
| 0.7 | 20 |
| 1.7 | 12 |
| 1.7 | 12 |
| 0.6 | 16 |
| 0.5 | 19 |
| 1.7 | 12 |
| 0.2 | 20 |
| 1.2 | 12 |
| 1.7 | 8 |
| 1.1 | 14 |
| 0.2 | 20 |
| 0.2 | 20 |
| 0.5 | 20 |
| 1.6 | 12 |
| 0.2 | 20 |
| 0.4 | 20 |
| 0.4 | 20 |
| 0.6 | 15 |
| 0.1 | 20 |
| 0.8 | 18 |
| 0.3 | 20 |
| 0.4 | 20 |
| 0.2 | 20 |
| 1.1 | 10 |
| 0.5 | 8 |
| 1.1 | 14 |
| 1.2 | 12 |
| 0.6 | 16 |
| 0.6 | 15 |
| 0.5 | 16 |
| 1.7 | 12 |
| 0.6 | 14 |
| 1.3 | 11 |
| 0.7 | 14 |
| 0.7 | 15 |
| 0.2 | 18 |
| 1.3 | 12 |
| 0.5 | 0 |
| 0.6 | 8 |
| 0.6 | 8 |
| 0.5 | 10 |
| 0.6 | 12 |
| 0.6 | 12 |
| 0.6 | 12 |
| 0.6 | 12 |
Compared With Other Events
Station records per event| Cold outbreak in United States and Mexico, 6 February to 5 March 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Cold outbreak in United States and Mexico, 13 October to 5 November 2020 | |
| Cold outbreak in United States and Mexico, 23 December 2017 to 8 January 2018 | |
| Cold outbreak in United States and Mexico, 3 to 23 January 2024 | |
| Cold outbreak in United States, 15 January to 10 February 2026 | |
| Cold outbreak in United States, 9 to 20 December 2021 (this event) |
Every Record Set
20 of 240| Date | Station | Record | Value | Margin | Years stood | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-11 | Mancos 1SW | Record low maximum temperature | -3.3 C (26.1 F) | 1.1 C (2.0 F) | 122 | 42 of 100 (Notable) |
| 2021-12-11 | Mesa Verde Np | Record low maximum temperature | -6.7 C (19.9 F) | 2.3 C (4.1 F) | 88 | 40 of 100 (Notable) |
| 2021-12-12 | Camarillo AP | Record low minimum temperature | 0.6 C (33.1 F) | 1.1 C (2.0 F) | 52 | 24 of 100 (Routine) |
| 2021-12-15 | Tonopah | Record low minimum temperature | -12.8 C (9.0 F) | 0.6 C (1.1 F) | 90 | 38 of 100 (Notable) |
| 2021-12-15 | Paso Robles | Record low maximum temperature | 8.3 C (46.9 F) | 0.6 C (1.1 F) | 48 | 25 of 100 (Routine) |
| 2021-12-15 | Tonopah AP | Record low maximum temperature | -3.8 C (25.2 F) | 1.0 C (1.8 F) | 56 | 24 of 100 (Routine) |
| 2021-12-16 | San Diego Intl AP | Record low minimum temperature | 3.3 C (37.9 F) | 1.7 C (3.1 F) | 72 | 35 of 100 (Notable) |
| 2021-12-16 | Gibbs Rch - Jarbidge 24SE | Record low maximum temperature | -6.1 C (21.0 F) | 2.2 C (4.0 F) | 56 | 27 of 100 (Routine) |
| 2021-12-16 | Alpine | Record low minimum temperature | -0.6 C (30.9 F) | 0.6 C (1.1 F) | 50 | 23 of 100 (Routine) |
| 2021-12-17 | Tonopah | Record low minimum temperature | -13.9 C (7.0 F) | 2.2 C (4.0 F) | 92 | 41 of 100 (Notable) |
| 2021-12-18 | Tonopah | Record low minimum temperature | -18.9 C (-2.0 F) | 4.5 C (8.1 F) | 96 | 48 of 100 (Notable) |
| 2021-12-18 | Deseret | Record low maximum temperature | -8.3 C (17.1 F) | 1.1 C (2.0 F) | 112 | 41 of 100 (Notable) |
| 2021-12-18 | San Diego Intl AP | Record low minimum temperature | 3.9 C (39.0 F) | 1.1 C (2.0 F) | 56 | 28 of 100 (Routine) |
| 2021-12-18 | Delta | Record low maximum temperature | -7.8 C (18.0 F) | 0.6 C (1.1 F) | 50 | 24 of 100 (Routine) |
| 2021-12-18 | Jiggs 2NE | Record low minimum temperature | -30.0 C (-22.0 F) | 4.4 C (7.9 F) | 36 | 22 of 100 (Routine) |
| 2021-12-18 | Tonopah AP | Record low minimum temperature | -18.2 C (-0.8 F) | 0.4 C (0.7 F) | 51 | 21 of 100 (Routine) |
| 2021-12-19 | Mina | Record low maximum temperature | -6.1 C (21.0 F) | 5.0 C (9.0 F) | 112 | 50 of 100 (Notable) |
| 2021-12-19 | Tonopah | Record low minimum temperature | -17.8 C (0.0 F) | 2.2 C (4.0 F) | 96 | 43 of 100 (Notable) |
| 2021-12-19 | San Diego Intl AP | Record low minimum temperature | 4.4 C (39.9 F) | 0.6 C (1.1 F) | 56 | 26 of 100 (Routine) |
| 2021-12-20 | Shasta Dam | Record low maximum temperature | 3.3 C (37.9 F) | 2.3 C (4.1 F) | 68 | 32 of 100 (Routine) |
The daily ledgers keep a limited number of records per day, so this list has 20 of the 240 records the event counts. The counts above use the full total.
Download the Data
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Climatology Network Daily (GHCN-Daily). Records are computed by World Extreme Weather Monitor and are not official NOAA products. (US Government open data (NOAA NCEI)) Data as of 2026-10-12. Events are found by this site from station records and are not official designations. Records are provisional until reprocessed.