Extreme Cold Warning Issued in 12 US States — Forecast Through Thursday

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.