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| a woman and child braving the cold | source: getty images |
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued extreme cold warnings across 12 U.S. states, cautioning residents about life-threatening temperatures expected through Thursday.
According to the NWS, the affected states include Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Montana, and South Dakota.
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| pedestrian walks in cold weather in wisconsin on december 22, 2022 | source: getty images |
An Extreme Cold Warning means the weather is dangerously cold. According to the state weather agency, this warning will impact western and central North Dakota, including the James River Valley. In Kansas, extreme cold is expected across central, east-central, north-central, northeast, south-central, and southeast regions.
The warning extends to the Panhandle of Oklahoma and the Panhandle of Texas, where wind chills could drop well below zero. Similar conditions are expected across northern Texas and much of Oklahoma, including central, east-central, northern, northwest, southeast, southern, southwest, and western parts of the state.
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| an icy bridge east of downtown houston, texas, after a winter storm on january 22, 2025 | source: getty images |
In Nebraska, extreme cold will grip central, north-central, panhandle, southwest, and west-central areas, while a portion of northeast Montana is also under advisory. The warning further includes portions of southwest and west-central Iowa, as well as east-central, northeast, and southeast Nebraska.
Additional alerts cover central, north-central, northeast, northwest, and west-central Iowa. Meanwhile, northwestern, south-central, and southwestern South Dakota are also bracing for dangerously low temperatures. Here are the counties and cities affected by the Extreme Cold Warning across these states.
Iowa
In Iowa, the NWS warning covers the counties of Pocahontas, Humboldt, Wright, Franklin, Butler, Bremer, Sac, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Hardin, Grundy, Black Hawk, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Tama, Audubon, Guthrie, Dallas, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Cass, Adair, Madison, Adams, Union, Emmet, Kossuth, Winnebago, Worth, Palo Alto, Hancock, Cerro Gordo, Plymouth, Cherokee, Buena Vista, Woodbury, Ida, Winneshiek, Allamakee, Fayette, Clayton, Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Iowa, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, and Linn.
The cities affected are Des Moines, Ames, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Dubuque, Iowa City, Sioux City, Fort Dodge, Mason City, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Decorah, Marshalltown, Carroll, Spencer, Atlantic, Anamosa, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Independence, Manchester, Maquoketa, Marengo, Tipton, and Vinton.
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| two pedestrians brave sub-zero temperatures downtown as cold grip des moines, iowa, on january 14, 2024 | source: getty images |
Minnesota
The warning has been issued for the counties of Morrison, Mille Lacs, Kanabec, Benton, Sherburne, Isanti, Chisago, Wright, Hennepin, Anoka, Ramsey, Washington, Carver, Scott, Dakota, Le Sueur, Rice, Goodhue, Waseca, Steele, Freeborn, Polk, Barron, Rusk, St. Croix, Pierce, Dunn, Pepin, Chippewa, Eau Claire, Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, Iron, Burnett, Washburn, Sawyer, Price, Nobles, and Jackson.
Cities under the warning include Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, St. Cloud, Brainerd, Hibbing, Worthington, Mankato, Winona, Albert Lea, and Red Wing.
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| a woman walks her dog in minneapolis, minnesota, on february 1, 2019 | source: getty images |
Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, the NWS warning is in effect in the counties of Lincoln, Langlade, Marathon, Wood, Portage, Waushara, Buffalo, Trempealeau, Jackson, Clark, Taylor, Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, Iron, Burnett, Washburn, Sawyer, Price, Chippewa, Eau Claire, Polk, St. Croix, and Pierce.
Cities affected include Eau Claire, Wausau, La Crosse, Superior, Wisconsin Rapids, Antigo, Rhinelander, Ashland, and Medford.
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| men walk in chilly weather in madison, wisconsin, on january 30, 2019 | source: getty images |
North Dakota
The NWS warning impacts the counties of Divide, Burke, Renville, Bottineau, Rolette, Williams, Mountrail, Ward, McHenry, Pierce, McKenzie, Dunn, Mercer, Oliver, McLean, Sheridan, Wells, Foster, Golden Valley, Billings, Stark, Morton, Burleigh, Kidder, Stutsman, Slope, Hettinger, Grant, Bowman, Adams, Sioux, Emmons, Logan, La Moure, McIntosh, and Dickey.
Major cities impacted by the warning include Bismarck, Minot, Grand Forks, Fargo, Jamestown, Dickinson, Williston, Devils Lake, and Rugby.
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| ice covers a flooded road near fargo, north dakota,on march 30, 2009 | source: getty images |
Kansas
For this state, the NWS warning affects the counties of Republic, Washington, Marshall, Nemaha, Brown, Cloud, Clay, Riley, Pottawatomie, Jackson, Jefferson, Ottawa, and Dickinson. Additional counties under the warning include Geary, Morris, Wabaunsee, Shawnee, Douglas, Lyon, Osage, Franklin, Coffey, Anderson, Russell, Lincoln, Barton, Ellsworth, Saline, Rice, McPherson, Marion, and Chase. The extreme cold also extends to Reno, Harvey, Butler, Greenwood, Woodson, Allen, Kingman, Sedgwick, Harper, Sumner, Cowley, Elk, Wilson, Neosho, Chautauqua, Montgomery, and Labette.
Cities affected include Topeka, Manhattan, Salina, Hutchinson, Emporia, Wichita, Dodge City, Great Bend, and Garden City.
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| traffic moves smoothly on wichita, kansas, on february 13, 2012 | source: getty images |
Colorado
The NWS warning covers the counties of Kiowa, Bent, Prowers, Baca, Sedgwick, and Phillips, including the cities of Las Animas, Eads, Springfield, Walsh, Sheridan Lake, Lamar, Julesburg, and Holyoke.
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| icicles form on a handrail in the foothills of the rocky mountains in colorado, on september 8, 2020 | source: getty images
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Oklahoma
The state weather warning is affecting several counties of Harper, Woods, Alfalfa, Grant, Kay, Ellis, Woodward, Major, Garfield, Noble, Roger Mills, Dewey, Custer, Blaine, Kingfisher, Logan, Payne, Beckham, Washita, Caddo, Canadian, Lincoln, Grady, McClain, Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Hughes, Harmon, Greer, Kiowa, Jackson, Tillman, Comanche, Stephens, Garvin, Murray, Pontotoc, Coal, Cotton, Jefferson, Carter, Johnston, Atoka, Love, Marshall, and Bryan.
Additionally, Oklahoma City is affected, along with the cities of Norman, Tulsa, Enid, Stillwater, Lawton, Ardmore, McAlester, and Woodward.
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| ice-covered trees block the road in norman, oklahoma, on december 10, 2007 | source: getty images |
Texas
The counties of Montague, Cooke, Grayson, Fannin, Lamar, Young, Jack, Wise, Denton, Collin, Hunt, Delta, Hopkins, Stephens, Palo Pinto, Parker, Tarrant, Dallas, Rockwall, Kaufman, Eastland, Erath, Hood, Somervell, Johnson, Ellis, Comanche, Mills, Hamilton, Bosque, Hill, Navarro, are affected by the NWS warning.
Additional counties include Lampasas, Coryell, Bell, McLennan, Falls, Limestone, Fisher, Nolan, Sterling, Coke, Runnels, Irion, Tom Green, Concho, Crockett, Schleicher, Sutton, Haskell, Throckmorton, Jones, Shackelford, Taylor, Callahan, Coleman, Brown, McCulloch, San Saba, Menard, Kimble, and Mason.
Meanwhile, the cities under the warning include Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Angelo, Abilene, Wichita Falls, Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, and Brownwood.
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| icicles form on a sign at a convenience store along fm 2920 in spring, texas, on january 16, 2024 | source: getty images |
Nebraska
The Extreme Cold Warning also affects the counties of Dawes, Box Butte, Northern Sioux, Southern Sioux, Scotts Bluff, Banner, Morrill, Kimball, Cheyenne, Monona, Harrison, Shelby, Pottawattamie, Mills, Montgomery, Knox, Cedar, Thurston, Antelope, Pierce, Wayne, Boone, Madison, Stanton, Cuming, Burt, Platte, Colfax, Dodge, Washington, Butler, Saunders, Douglas, Sarpy, Seward, Lancaster, and Saline.
Major cities impacted include Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, North Platte, Kearney, Scottsbluff, Norfolk, Chadron, Alliance, Creighton, St. Edward, Missouri Valley, Walthill, Onawa, Wayne, Columbus, Woodbine, Seward, Wisner, David City, Neligh, Mapleton, Plainview, Ashland, Fremont, Pierce, Winnebago, Glenwood, Papillion, Wilber, Lyons, Stanton, Decatur, Hartington, Schuyler, Wahoo, Albion, Oakland, Tekamah, Norfolk, Crete, La Vista, Milford, Laurel, Elgin, Verdigre, Crofton, Logan, Randolph, Blair, Coleridge, Red Oak, Pender, Osmond, Yutan, Council Bluffs, Wausa, Macy, Niobrara, West Point, Bloomfield, Bellevue, and Dunlap.
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| snow-covered electric vehicle charging station near the university of nebraska, on january 4, 2024 | source: getty images
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Arkansas
Under this state, the Extreme Cold Warning extends to the counties of Benton, Carroll, Washington, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian. Major cities affected are Fayetteville, Rogers, Bentonville, Springdale, Fort Smith, and Van Buren.
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| a sprayer applies herbicide in late winter to a field for no-till cotton planting in arkansas on july 7, 2023 | source: getty images |
Montana
Under this state, the NWS warning includes the counties of Central and Southeast Phillips, Central and Southern Valley, Daniels, Sheridan, Western Roosevelt, Petroleum, Garfield, McCone, Richland, Dawson, Prairie, Wibaux, Northern Phillips, Southwest Phillips, Northern Valley, Eastern Roosevelt, Custer, Fallon, and Carter.
Cities affected include Glasgow, Glendive, Miles City, Baker, Sidney, Ekalaka, Malta, Jordan, Culbertson, Winnett, Frazer, Plentywood, and Medicine Lake.
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| interstate 90 exit in montana, on december 26, 2019 | source: getty images |
South Dakota
The Extreme Cold Warning in South Dakota affects multiple counties, including Stanley, Sully, Hughes, Hyde, Hand, Jones, Lyman, Buffalo, Gregory, Charles Mix, Bon Homme, Yankton, Clay, Union, Ziebach, Perkins, Harding, Butte, Mellette, Todd, and Tripp.
Major cities impacted by the dangerously low temperatures include Pierre, Rapid City, Aberdeen, Watertown, Mitchell, Spearfish, Winner, and Belle Fourche.
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| a person stands in badlands national park in south dakota on march 21, 2023 | source: getty images |
With extreme cold warnings in effect across 12 states, the NWS emphasizes the need for preparation and caution. Residents should stay indoors when possible and take precautions to prevent frostbite and hypothermia.
Those who must go outside should wear multiple layers, including a hat, face mask, and insulated gloves. Exposure should be limited, as skin can freeze within minutes. Staying informed and following safety guidelines is crucial to preventing cold-related emergencies.
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