What is "cold wave"

Cold wave \Cold" wave"\ (Meteor.) In the terminology of the United States Weather Bureau, an unusual fall in temperature, to or below the freezing point, exceeding 16[deg] in twenty-four hours or 20[deg] in thirty-six hours, independent of the diurnal range.

n. 1 A short period of very cold weather; a cold snap 2 A permanent wave in the hair set by special solutions without the aid of any heating machine.

n. a wave of unusually cold weather

Cold wave is a French variant of post-punk music, primarily spread in France, South Belgium and Romandie. The musical term was first used by British magazine Sounds in November 1977 to describe the music of German band Kraftwerk and English post-punk band Siouxsie and the Banshees.

A cold wave (known in some regions as a cold snap) is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U.S. National Weather Service, a cold wave is a rapid fall in temperature within a 24-hour period requiring substantially increased protection to agriculture, industry, commerce, and social activities. The precise criterion for a cold wave is determined by the rate at which the temperature falls, and the minimum to which it falls. This minimum temperature is dependent on the geographical region and time of year.

In the United States, a cold spell is defined as the national average high temperature dropping below .