DENVER — A powerful Arctic cold front delivered one of the most dramatic temperature changes of the season across the central United States, with Denver and much of the region from Colorado to Ohio experiencing overnight drops approaching 50 degrees, according to the NOAA Weather Prediction Center.
In Denver, mild conditions ahead of the front were rapidly replaced by sharply colder air as the system barreled east. Similar temperature collapses were reported across Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and into Ohio, where communities woke up to conditions that felt more like mid-winter than late December.
The striking temperature-change map released by NOAA highlights deep blues and purples stretching across the central U.S., indicating 30–50°F colder readings compared to the previous day. Meteorologists say this type of dramatic swing is driven by a strong pressure gradient and an unseasonably intense Arctic air mass surging southward behind the front.
In addition to plunging temperatures, strong winds accompanied the front, dramatically increasing wind chill values. In many areas, wind chills dropped into the single digits or below zero, creating hazardous conditions for anyone outdoors. Travel impacts were also reported, especially where snow and blowing snow developed behind the front.
The cold surge continued eastward overnight, reaching the Ohio Valley and portions of the East Coast by morning. While temperatures are expected to slowly moderate later in the week, forecasters warn that lingering cold mornings and icy conditions may persist.
Residents across the region are urged to dress in layers, limit prolonged outdoor exposure, and check on vulnerable populations such as the elderly and unhoused. Pets and livestock should also be protected from the extreme cold.
This event serves as a reminder that winter’s most intense cold can arrive suddenly, even following relatively mild conditions, across the heart of the United States.
