In recent days, parts of the East, Midwest, and South have experienced chilly temperatures. However, compared to a cold outbreak in the late 1980s, the current weather conditions might seem mild. Today marks the 35th anniversary of a significant cold wave that swept through the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. on December 23, 1989, ranking as one of the most severe in modern history.
During this cold outbreak, Nebraska experienced a record low temperature of minus 47 degrees, tying its all-time low which had previously occurred during the infamous cold outbreak of February 1899. Other locations also set record lows, including Kansas City at minus 23 degrees, San Angelo, Texas at minus 4 degrees, New Orleans at 11 degrees, and Wilmington, North Carolina at 0 degrees, as documented by weather historian Christopher Burt.
The impact of this cold wave extended beyond just low temperatures. The Southeast Atlantic coast witnessed its most significant snowstorm in modern times, according to Burt. Record-breaking snowfalls were recorded in cities like Charleston, South Carolina (8 inches), Savannah, Georgia (3.6 inches), and Wilmington, North Carolina (15 inches). Strong winds accompanied the snow, creating drifts as high as 8 feet in certain areas of the Carolina coastal plain. Even Florida experienced snowfall, with Live Oak measuring 1.5 inches and Tallahassee recording a trace of snow, marking its first Christmas Day snow in history.
Jonathan Erdman, a senior meteorologist at weather.com with over two decades of experience in covering national and international weather events, specializes in extreme and unusual weather phenomena. For more information on his insights and analysis, connect with him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook.
