February 2015 North American cold wave
The February 2015 North American cold wave was an extreme weather event that affected most of Canada and the eastern half of the United States. Following an earlier cold wave in the winter, the period of below-average temperatures contributed to an already unusually cold winter for the Eastern U.S. Several places broke their records for their coldest February on record, while some areas came very close. The cause of the cold wave was due to the polar vortex advancing southward into the eastern parts of the U.S, and even making it as far south as the Southeast, where large snow falls are rare. By the beginning of March, although the pattern did continue for the first week, it abated and retreated near the official end of the winter.
Average temperature departure for the United States in February 2015, showcasing the well-below average temperatures in the eastern half of the country | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | Early February 2015 |
| Dissipated | Mid-March 2015 |
| Cold wave | |
| Lowest temperature | −39 °F (−39 °C) in Roscommon, Michigan on February 20 |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 38 |
| Damage | >$1.4 million |
| Areas affected | Canada, East Coast of the United States |
Part of the 2014–15 North American winter | |
In addition to the extremely cold weather, multiple winter storms affected nearly the entire United States, especially in the snow-weary Northeast, which had already seen nearly 3 feet (0.91 m) of snow in the latter part of January; this was added to by roughly 3–4 feet (0.91–1.22 m) more snow, leading to Boston having its highest seasonal snowfall on record.