Georgia colder than Alaska? These five winter wonderlands are warmer than here right now

Caption

The great snow storm of 1973 began February 9 and dumped fourteen inches of snow on Columbus, Georgia before it was over. This is a snowman on the grounds of First Baptist Church in Columbus.

Credit: Ledger-Enquirer file photo

Okay, Georgia, we have snow, and it’s colder here than it’s been in a very long time. These conditions are so unusual for us, it makes Southerners, unaccustomed to extreme winter weather, wonder just how bad we have it at the moment.

It’s colder in Columbus, Georgia, than it usually is in these places:

The U.S. is going through some very unusual weather patterns currently, but in normal conditions, Columbus doesn’t often rate as one of the coldest places. However, it is currently colder here than it usually is in these very cold cities.

• Juneau, Alaska, average temp: 36°F (it is currently warmer there than it is here today)
• St. Paul, Minnesota, average temp: 34°F
• Fargo, North Dakota, average temp: 32°F
• Reykjavik, Iceland, average temp: 40°F
• Moscow, Russia, average temp: 35°F

What is the coldest it’s been in Columbus, Georgia?

Temperature records for Columbus date back to 1891, providing over 130 years of historical data to compare against this extreme cold event. Although it is undoubtedly cold here, there have been times when temperatures have been even more extreme.

Exactly 40 years ago, today on January 21, 1985, it was a lot colder, with temps plummeting to a low of -2℉.

Here are a few other record-breaking temperatures

• -3°F in 1899

• -12℉ in 1983

• 14°F - 1972

• 15°F - 1927

• 17°F - 1912

With temperatures like these, it’s best to just hunker down and ride out the weather someplace warm. Oh, and be glad we don’t live somewhere where it’s always this extreme.

Continue to check with the Ledger-Enquirer for weather updates. 

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.