Ranked from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
Coldest Winters in America
Average daily low in the coldest month, coldest counties first, with the heating degree days beside it. Figures are NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals from the weather station nearest each county seat, so they describe a thirty-year average rather than any single year.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
Top 100
| # | County | State | Winter low | Heating degree days | Monthly to own |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Slope Borough | AK | -23.0°F | 18,759 | $1,822 |
| 2 | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | AK | -22.1°F | 14,679 | $2,083 |
| 3 | Fairbanks North Star Borough | AK | -17.6°F | 13,878 | $2,351 |
| 4 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | AK | -17.4°F | 14,408 | $863 |
| 5 | Copper River Census Area | AK | -11.7°F | 13,377 | $1,840 |
| 6 | Northwest Arctic Borough | AK | -8.4°F | 14,907 | $1,298 |
| 7 | Gunnison County | CO | -6.4°F | 9,935 | $4,182 |
| 8 | Steele County | ND | -6.0°F | 9,921 | $1,096 |
| 9 | San Juan County | CO | -5.9°F | 11,035 | $2,912 |
| 10 | Marshall County | MN | -5.5°F | 10,106 | $1,311 |
| 11 | Pennington County | MN | -5.5°F | 10,106 | $1,632 |
| 12 | Roseau County | MN | -5.5°F | 10,106 | $1,499 |
| 13 | Clearwater County | MN | -5.2°F | 9,778 | $1,470 |
| 14 | Rolette County | ND | -5.1°F | 10,015 | $895 |
| 15 | Cavalier County | ND | -5.0°F | 10,360 | $1,140 |
| 16 | Koochiching County | MN | -4.9°F | 10,140 | $1,237 |
| 17 | Itasca County | MN | -4.7°F | 9,879 | $1,747 |
| 18 | Park County | CO | -4.3°F | 10,756 | $3,484 |
| 19 | Lake of the Woods County | MN | -4.3°F | 9,881 | $1,739 |
| 20 | Pembina County | ND | -4.3°F | 10,022 | $1,073 |
| 21 | Nelson County | ND | -4.2°F | 9,920 | $1,038 |
| 22 | Kittson County | MN | -4.1°F | 9,769 | $1,183 |
| 23 | Hinsdale County | CO | -4.0°F | 10,202 | $3,125 |
| 24 | Norman County | MN | -3.9°F | 9,471 | $1,200 |
| 25 | Pierce County | ND | -3.9°F | 9,801 | $1,276 |
| 26 | Towner County | ND | -3.4°F | 10,496 | $1,106 |
| 27 | Lincoln County | WY | -3.3°F | 10,404 | $2,499 |
| 28 | Grand Forks County | ND | -3.1°F | 9,533 | $2,048 |
| 29 | Griggs County | ND | -3.1°F | 9,619 | $1,149 |
| 30 | Walsh County | ND | -3.1°F | 9,533 | $1,151 |
| 31 | Polk County | MN | -2.9°F | 9,524 | $1,763 |
| 32 | Red Lake County | MN | -2.9°F | 9,524 | $1,356 |
| 33 | Becker County | MN | -2.8°F | 9,305 | $2,118 |
| 34 | Cass County | MN | -2.8°F | 9,305 | $2,051 |
| 35 | Hubbard County | MN | -2.8°F | 9,305 | $2,057 |
| 36 | Wadena County | MN | -2.8°F | 9,305 | $1,466 |
| 37 | Beltrami County | MN | -2.7°F | 9,639 | $1,845 |
| 38 | Mahnomen County | MN | -2.5°F | 9,470 | $1,279 |
| 39 | Barnes County | ND | -2.3°F | 9,284 | $1,469 |
| 40 | Rio Grande County | CO | -2.2°F | 8,950 | $1,649 |
| 41 | Nome Census Area | AK | -2.0°F | 13,485 | $1,788 |
| 42 | Otter Tail County | MN | -2.0°F | 9,147 | $2,024 |
| 43 | Burke County | ND | -2.0°F | 10,000 | $1,223 |
| 44 | Bottineau County | ND | -1.9°F | 9,401 | $1,577 |
| 45 | Sheridan County | MT | -1.8°F | 9,573 | $1,043 |
| 46 | Eddy County | ND | -1.8°F | 9,428 | $1,054 |
| 47 | Ramsey County | ND | -1.8°F | 9,428 | $1,663 |
| 48 | Renville County | ND | -1.7°F | 9,939 | $1,377 |
| 49 | Mineral County | CO | -1.5°F | 9,830 | $2,973 |
| 50 | St. Louis County | MN | -1.5°F | 9,718 | $1,748 |
| 51 | Benson County | ND | -1.5°F | 9,598 | $815 |
| 52 | Foster County | ND | -1.5°F | 9,262 | $1,455 |
| 53 | Cass County | ND | -1.4°F | 9,115 | $2,373 |
| 54 | Alamosa County | CO | -1.1°F | 8,321 | $1,677 |
| 55 | Conejos County | CO | -1.1°F | 8,321 | $1,285 |
| 56 | Todd County | MN | -0.9°F | 9,333 | $1,593 |
| 57 | Daniels County | MT | -0.7°F | 9,292 | $1,482 |
| 58 | Mountrail County | ND | -0.6°F | 9,810 | $1,770 |
| 59 | Sargent County | ND | -0.6°F | 8,993 | $1,336 |
| 60 | LaMoure County | ND | -0.4°F | 8,747 | $1,080 |
| 61 | Franklin County | ME | -0.3°F | 9,466 | $1,547 |
| 62 | Ransom County | ND | -0.3°F | 9,014 | $1,513 |
| 63 | Meeker County | MN | -0.2°F | 8,760 | $1,884 |
| 64 | Chisago County | MN | -0.1°F | 8,608 | $2,655 |
| 65 | Crow Wing County | MN | -0.1°F | 8,695 | $2,185 |
| 66 | Roosevelt County | MT | -0.1°F | 9,210 | $1,102 |
| 67 | Iron County | MI | 0.0°F | 9,658 | $996 |
| 68 | Divide County | ND | 0.0°F | 9,318 | $1,435 |
| 69 | Grand County | CO | 0.1°F | 9,756 | $3,607 |
| 70 | Aitkin County | MN | 0.1°F | 9,141 | $1,858 |
| 71 | Kidder County | ND | 0.1°F | 9,315 | $1,196 |
| 72 | Logan County | ND | 0.1°F | 9,315 | $957 |
| 73 | Clay County | MN | 0.2°F | 8,806 | $2,121 |
| 74 | Wilkin County | MN | 0.2°F | 8,806 | $1,440 |
| 75 | Dunn County | ND | 0.2°F | 8,965 | $1,939 |
| 76 | Kanabec County | MN | 0.5°F | 8,720 | $1,858 |
| 77 | Mille Lacs County | MN | 0.5°F | 8,808 | $1,967 |
| 78 | Stevens County | MN | 0.5°F | 8,757 | $1,508 |
| 79 | Price County | WI | 0.5°F | 9,082 | $1,305 |
| 80 | Vilas County | WI | 0.5°F | 9,481 | $2,112 |
| 81 | Teton County | WY | 0.6°F | 11,149 | $9,611 |
| 82 | Swift County | MN | 0.8°F | 8,378 | $1,269 |
| 83 | Moffat County | CO | 0.9°F | 8,669 | $1,973 |
| 84 | Stutsman County | ND | 0.9°F | 9,010 | $1,711 |
| 85 | Washburn County | WI | 0.9°F | 8,673 | $1,720 |
| 86 | Lake County | MN | 1.0°F | 9,634 | $1,804 |
| 87 | Traill County | ND | 1.0°F | 8,681 | $1,650 |
| 88 | Williams County | ND | 1.0°F | 8,906 | $2,133 |
| 89 | Kusilvak Census Area | AK | 1.2°F | 12,228 | $719 |
| 90 | Wells County | ND | 1.2°F | 9,098 | $1,001 |
| 91 | Burnett County | WI | 1.2°F | 8,422 | $1,747 |
| 92 | McIntosh County | ND | 1.3°F | 9,031 | $808 |
| 93 | Summit County | CO | 1.5°F | 10,736 | $5,899 |
| 94 | Pope County | MN | 1.5°F | 8,360 | $1,956 |
| 95 | McLean County | ND | 1.6°F | 8,957 | $1,890 |
| 96 | Sawyer County | WI | 1.6°F | 8,997 | $1,785 |
| 97 | Carlton County | MN | 1.7°F | 9,396 | $1,951 |
| 98 | Barron County | WI | 1.7°F | 8,464 | $1,701 |
| 99 | Richland County | ND | 1.8°F | 8,565 | $1,546 |
| 100 | St. Croix County | WI | 1.8°F | 8,528 | $2,797 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Coldest Winters by state
The same ranking within a single state.
Alabama67Alaska26Arizona15Arkansas75California58Colorado64Florida67Georgia159Idaho44Illinois102Indiana92Iowa99Kansas105Kentucky120Louisiana64Maine16Maryland24Massachusetts14Michigan83Minnesota87Mississippi82Missouri115Montana56Nebraska93Nevada16New Jersey21New Mexico33New York62North Carolina100North Dakota53Ohio88Oklahoma77Oregon36Pennsylvania67South Carolina46South Dakota65Tennessee95Texas250Utah29Vermont14Virginia133Washington39West Virginia55Wisconsin72Wyoming23