cold snap

American  

noun

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

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cold snap British  

noun

1. a sudden short spell of cold weather

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cold snap Idioms  

1. 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]

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Etymology

Origin of cold snap

An Americanism dating back to 1770–80

Example Sentences

Mamdani faced criticism after at least 18 people died during the first storm and ensuing cold snap.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

As a winter cold snap grips Germany, Berliners have been slip-sliding on ice-covered footpaths, driving a heated debate on whether the capital should use environmentally damaging salt to melt away the hazard.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

It was held on a Saturday in January, with no other candidates on the ballot, following a cold snap that affected campaigning and early voting.

From Salon • Feb. 3, 2026

A similar cold snap in 2021 disrupted oil and gas supplies, exacerbating a big rise in home heating demand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

They jostled and bumped one another, laughing, stamping their feet against the cold snap that had surprised the city this week, the last gasp of winter before spring began in earnest.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Related Words

• cold spell
• cold wave
• cold weather