5 Things to Know About Arctic Cold Fronts and the Plummeting Temperatures They Produce

Arctic cold fronts are the king of the meteorological world when it comes to the plunging temperatures in the wake of their passage. Every year they sweep through parts of the Lower 48 states, often ushering in the coldest temperatures of the season.

December is ushering in the first blast of arctic air this winter season across the United States. With that in mind, here are five things to know about arctic cold fronts.

1.) Incredible 24-Hour Temperature Drops

24-hour temperature map on the afternoon of Nov. 30, 2014. Some locations in Nebraska and Kansas were 50-60 degrees colder than the exact same time the day before on Nov. 29, 2015.

One of the favorite maps among meteorologists when an arctic cold front is sweeping through the country is the 24-hour temperature change. Frequently you'll see locations 40 or more degrees colder than the exact same time the day before.
The image above shows the 24-hour temperature changes that occurred in the central Plains behind an arctic cold front Nov. 29-30, 2014 at 2:30 p.m, local time. Some areas in Kansas and Nebraska saw the mercury plunge 50-60 degrees during that 24-hour period.
As an example, O'Neill, Nebraska, was 76 degrees at 2:55 p.m. CST Nov. 29. The next day at 2:55 p.m. it was just 15 degrees with a wind chill of 2 below zero -- a 61-degree drop in the actual temperature and a 78-degree drop in the feels-like temperature.

2.) Major Temperature Plunges Can Occur in Minutes

In extreme situations, the temperature drops that follow arctic cold fronts can happen in just minutes.
For this next example we turn back the clock to Dec. 12, 1919 in Amarillo, Texas. An arctic cold front, locally known as a Blue Norther in that part of the country, swept into the Texas panhandle town.
A noon it was 67 degrees, pleasant for an early December day at lunchtime. Cold northerly winds then rushed in behind the Blue Norther, dropping the temperature to 23 degrees by 1 p.m. An incredible plunge of 44 degrees in one hour.
It got even worse through the afternoon and early evening. In fact, by the time people were cleaning up from dinner around 7 p.m., it was only 1 degree above zero.

3.) A Few Miles Makes a Big Temperature Difference

Another aspect of arctic cold fronts that frequently draws the attention of meteorologists is the difference in temperature over short distances.
The map above shows a 44-degree temperature difference observed on the afternoon of March 4, 2015, across a span of about 120 miles between the Mississippi towns of Aberdeen (81 degrees) and Tunica (37 degrees).

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