cold snap

noun

1. a sudden onset of a relatively brief period of cold weather.

cold snap

noun

1. a sudden short spell of cold weather

Word History and Origins

Origin of cold snap¹

An Americanism dating back to 1770–80

Idioms and Phrases

Also, cold spell . A short period of unusually cold weather, as in The recent cold snap has threatened the crop . The first expression presumably likens snap in the sense of “a sudden bite or cut” to sudden unexpected cold. The variant is more obvious, spell having been used in the sense of “a bout or turn at something” since the early 1700s. [Early 1800s]

Example Sentences

A cold snap drove up consumption, forcing Ukrenergo, the main transmission system operator, to introduce controlled blackouts throughout the country.

From Seattle Times

This week’s cold snap also took parts of Argentina and Paraguay by surprise.

From Seattle Times

Higher average temperatures and greater swings in temperature across both seasons have caused chaos for fruit trees, with increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves and cold snaps disrupting the once stable cycle of seasons.

From Salon

Some households have been offered discounts to use less electricity at peak times in an attempt to ease demand during cold snaps.

From BBC

Research Medical Center didn’t provide exact numbers but said in a statement that some of the 12 people who had to undergo amputations after the cold snap had been at the game.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• cold spell
• cold wave
• cold weather