Coldest Cities in the US

75 major US metros, ranked by average daily low — from the 1991–2020 climate normals. Every city links to its full climate profile.

The coldest major city in the US is Colorado Springs, CO, at 37°F average daily low. Denver, CO ranks second at 37°F. Below, all 75 metros are ranked — tap any city to open its month-by-month climate, rainfall, and temperature records.

Coldest US cities — top 30

  1. 1Colorado Springs, CO37°F
  2. 2Denver, CO37°F
  3. 3Minneapolis, MN38°F
  4. 4Albany, NY39°F
  5. 5Des Moines, IA41°F
  6. 6Grand Rapids, MI41°F
  7. 7Buffalo, NY41°F
  8. 8Rochester, NY41°F
  9. 9Ogden, UT41°F
  10. 10Milwaukee, WI41°F
  11. 11Detroit, MI42°F
  12. 12Omaha, NE42°F
  13. 13Provo, UT42°F
  14. 14Hartford, CT43°F
  15. 15Chicago, IL43°F
  16. 16Allentown, PA43°F
  17. 17Providence, RI43°F
  18. 18New Haven, CT44°F
  19. 19Indianapolis, IN44°F
  20. 20Cincinnati, OH44°F
  21. 21Cleveland, OH44°F
  22. 22Columbus, OH44°F
  23. 23Pittsburgh, PA44°F
  24. 24Salt Lake City, UT44°F
  25. 25Boston, MA45°F
  26. 26Dayton, OH45°F
  27. 27Bridgeport, CT46°F
  28. 28Baltimore, MD46°F
  29. 29Albuquerque, NM46°F
  30. 30Portland, OR46°F

How the coldest cities compare

Across the 75 largest US metros with full climate records, average daily low ranges from 37°F in Colorado Springs, CO down to 71°F in Miami, FL — the top of the opposite extreme. The bars above are scaled to that spread, so the gap between the leader and the pack is visible at a glance.

These are 1991–2020 climate normals — the standard 30-year reference period meteorologists use — so they reflect the temperature a place typically runs across the year, not any single hot or cold day. The ranking covers the largest U.S. metros only.

Frequently asked

What is the coldest city in the US?
Among the 75 major US metros in this ranking, Colorado Springs, CO is the coldest, with 37°F average daily low based on the 1991–2020 climate normals. Denver, CO is second at 37°F. Each city in the list links to its full climate profile.
How is the coldest city ranked?
Cities are ranked by average daily low (in degrees Fahrenheit), lowest first. The figures come from the 1991–2020 climate normals, computed from ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo. It covers 75 of the largest US cities, not every town in the country.
How does Colorado Springs compare to the rest of the list?
Colorado Springs, CO tops the list at 37°F average daily low, while Miami, FL sits at the other end with 71°F. The gap between them shows how wide the spread is across major US cities. Click any city to see its month-by-month climate, rainfall, and temperature records.
Why is Colorado Springs the coldest?
Colorado Springs, CO has the lowest average daily low temperature of the major US metros in this ranking, at 37°F. Average low captures how cold a typical night runs across the whole year, which is why a far-northern or high-elevation city ranks coldest even if a few southern cities have set lower single-day records.

More US climate rankings

Or browse every city’s full profile in the city climate hub — weather by month, rainfall, all-time records, and the warming trend for 75 major US metros.