Energy conservation, difficult as it is in a cold wave, may require such measures as collecting people (especially the poor and elderly) in communal shelters. Internal plumbing can be wrapped, and persons can often run water continuously through pipes. In some places, such as Siberia, extreme cold requires that fuel-powered machinery to be used even part-time must be run continuously. Recent research suggests a possible link between cold waves and extratropical cyclogenesis. One extreme was the so-called Year Without a Summer of 1816, one of several years during the 1810s in which numerous crops failed during freakish summer cold snaps after volcanic eruptions that reduced incoming sunlight. At times as deadly to plants as drought, cold waves can leave land in danger of later brush and forest fires that consume dead biomass. The same winter temperatures that one associates with the norm for Colorado, Ohio, or Bavaria are catastrophic to winter crops in places likeįlorida, California, or parts of South America that grow fruit and vegetables in winter.Ĭold waves that bring unexpected freezes and frosts during the growing season in mid-latitude zones can kill plants during the early and most vulnerable stages of growth, resulting in crop failure as plants are killed before they can be harvested economically. In such places, plant and animal life is less tolerant of such cold as may appear rarely. Areas with subtropical climates may recognize unusual cold, perhaps barely freezing, temperatures, as a cold wave. Winter cold waves that are not considered cold in some areas, but cause temperatures significantly below average for an area, are also destructive. However, snow may stop spreading of fires, especially wildfires. The air during a cold wave is typically denser and thus contains more oxygen, so when air that a fire draws in becomes unusually cold it is likely to cause a more intense fire. Water mains may break and water supplies may become unreliable, making firefighting more difficult. įires become even more of a hazard during extreme cold. To be sure, such is more likely in places like Siberia and much of Canada that customarily get very cold weather. Motor vehicles may fail when antifreeze fails or motor oil gels, producing a failure of the transportation system. Some metals may become brittle at low temperatures. Demand for electrical power and fuels rises dramatically during such times, even though the generation of electrical power may fail due to the freezing of water necessary for the generation of hydroelectricity. Even some poorly protected indoor plumbing ruptures as water expands within them, causing much damage to property and costly insurance claims. Extreme winter cold often causes poorly insulated water pipelines and mains to freeze. Globally, more people die during hot weather than cold weather. More deaths occur during a cold wave than in a hot wave, though the mortality rate is higher in undeveloped regions of the world. Both cold waves and heat waves cause deaths, though different groups of people may be susceptible to different weather events. They often necessitate the purchase of foodstuffs to feed livestock at considerable cost to farmers.Ĭold spells are associated with increased mortality rates in populations around the world. Exposure to cold mandates greater caloric intake for all animals, including humans, and if a cold wave is accompanied by heavy and persistent snow, grazing animals may be unable to reach needed food and die of hypothermia or starvation. 3.5 17th century cold waves (1601–1700)Ī cold wave can cause death and injury to livestock and wildlife.3.1 21st-century cold waves (2001–present).