This brutally frigid weather may feel unprecedented, but an AP review of weather data shows it's not.
While a few sites around the nation have seen low-temperature records broken during January, in most places, the cold is not exceptional when taking the long view. Data from the Southeast Regional Climate Center shows among more than 400 continental U.S. weather stations that have been recording temperatures for at least a century, only 33 saw a number of sub-zero days since Jan. 1 that would rank in the coldest 10% in their history. None set a record.
Researchers and climatologists say as climate change warms the planet, we are experiencing fewer extreme low temperatures. On average, looking at more than 240 weather stations in the continental United States, there are 13 fewer sub-freezing days a year now than in 1970, according to data from the nonprofit Climate Central.
This guide provides data on how many cold-weather days there have been in since Jan. 1 around the U.S.