Showers and Thunderstorms from the Southern Plains into the Mid-Mississippi Valley; Record Warmth in the Plains and Midwest

Heavy rain and widely scattered severe storms capable of large hail, damaging winds, and possibly a tornado are expected over portions of the central and southern Plains into the Lower Missouri Valley. Unseasonable warmth will continue for a few more days across the Midwest and Southeast where several daily record highs could fall. Read More >

January 20-22, 1985 Record Arctic Cold

Above: GOES 6 Visible Satellite Image at 12:00 PM CST January 21, 1985 showing the cold air stratocumulus clouds over the Gulf and Atlantic.

A deepening mid to upper-level longwave trough over Central North America with a large cutoff low within the trough axis over Hudson Bay moved southward from January 18^th through the 20^th. This allowed for a very frigid Arctic airmass over Western Canada to plunge rapidly south southeast across the Midwest to the Gulf and eastward through January 22^nd. Record cold low temperatures were experienced with readings in the lower teens north of I-10, and mid to upper teens further south. Cold air stratocumulus clouds prevailed once again just offshore the coastline over the entire Gulf and Western Atlantic, as shown by this GOES 6 Visible Satellite Image at 12:00 PM CST January 21^st.

The coldest air with this system remained just to the north and east of the region due to the trajectory of the strong surface high, and unusually widespread and southern extent of snowpack over the eastern half of the country. This would partially explain the duration of freezing temperatures the longest over Central and South-Central Louisiana (example 58 hours below freezing at Lafayette, LA) compared to locations further west where temperatures rose briefly above freezing during the afternoon.

Due to the record cold temperatures, frozen pipes bursting in some homes and businesses caused extensive damage and water shortages across the area.

Satellite Animated Imagery
(NWS LCH YouTube)

GOES Satellite Imagery:

7km Infrared

4km Visible

1km Visible

January 21, 1985 Record Low Temperatures Compiled by: xmACIS2

STATE	LOCATION	STATION TYPE	LOW
LA	ALEXANDRIA	COOP	13
LA	BOYCE 3 WNW	COOP	13
LA	BUNKIE	COOP	14
LA	CROWLEY 2 NE	COOP	14
LA	DE QUINCY	COOP	12
LA	DE RIDDER	COOP	11
LA	ELIZABETH	COOP	12
LA	EUNICE	COOP	14
LA	FRANKLIN 3 NW	COOP	13
LA	GRAND COTEAU	COOP	11
LA	HACKBERRY 8 SSW	COOP	17
LA	JEANERETTE 5 NW	COOP	15
LA	JENNINGS	COOP	15
LA	LAFAYETTE REGIONAL AIRPORT	WBAN	13
LA	LAKE CHARLES REGIONAL AIRPORT	WBAN	15
LA	LEESVILLE	COOP	11
LA	LELAND BOWMAN LOCK	COOP	14
LA	LSU DEAN LEE RESEARCH STATION	COOP	14
LA	MORGAN CITY	COOP	15
LA	NEW IBERIA	COOP	17
LA	OBERLIN FIRE TOWER	COOP	12
LA	ROCKEFELLER WILDLIFE REFUGE	COOP	16
LA	ROSEPINE RESEARCH STATION	COOP	10
LA	WOODWORTH 2 SE	COOP	12
TX	BEAUMONT RESEARCH CENTER	COOP	13
TX	ORANGE	COOP	15
TX	PORT ARTHUR SE TX REGIONAL AIRPORT	WBAN	18
TX	SAM RAYBURN DAM	COOP	16
TX	TOLEDO BEND DAM	COOP	12
TX	TOWN BLUFF DAM	COOP	11

Consecutive hours below freezing
Location	Start Date/Time	End Date/Time	Hours
Fort Polk, LA (KPOE-Army)	1/20 - 6 AM	1/21 - 12 PM	30
Alexandria Esler Field, LA (KESF-WBAN)	1/20 - *6 AM	1/21 - 1 PM	*31
Lake Charles Regional Airport, LA (KLCH-NWS)	1/20 - 6 AM	1/21 - 2 PM	32
Lafayette, LA (KLFT-WBAN)	1/20 - 4 AM	1/22 - 9 AM	53
Port Arthur Southeast Texas Regional Airport, TX (KBPT-NWS)	1/20 - 6 PM	1/21 - 12 PM	18
*Alexandria Esler Field observations incomplete before 6 AM.

Hourly Surface Observations January 20-22, 1985 From National Centers for Environmental Information (NECI), times are in CST * = Incomplete observations due to power and/or equipment failure
Fort Polk, LA (KPOE-Army)	1/20	1/21	1/22
Alexandria Esler Field, LA (KESF-WBAN)	1/20	1/21	1/22
Lake Charles Regional Airport, LA (KLCH-NWS)	1/20	1/21	1/22
Lafayette, LA (KLFT-WBAN)	1/20	1/21	1/22
Port Arthur Southeast Texas Regional Airport, TX (KBPT-NWS)	1/20	1/21	1/22

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