cold snap

American  

noun

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

---

cold snap British  

noun

1. a sudden short spell of cold weather

---

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]

---

Etymology

Origin of cold snap

An Americanism dating back to 1770–80

Example Sentences

Six people have died in weather-related accidents as the continent reels from the most bitter cold snap of the winter so far.

From Barron's

An ongoing cold snap has seen snow settle in parts of the county amid sub zero temperatures.

From BBC

The disruption follows a cold snap in recent days in the UK.

From Barron's

The number of patients in hospital with flu has fallen in England, but NHS bosses are warning the cold snap could increase the pressure on the health service in the coming days.

From BBC

The UK is gearing up to mark the end of 2025 and celebrate the New Year at midnight as forecasters warn of cold snaps across large parts of the country.

From BBC

Related Words

• cold spell
• cold wave
• cold weather