General Motors Blames Polar Vortex For January Sales Slump

General Motors’ U.S. auto sales fell 12 percent in January compared to the same month last year, the company said Monday, with the auto giant delivering fewer cars due to extreme weather across the country.

The company delivered just over 170,000 vehicles in the United States during the month, with retail sales down 10 percent year over year and fleet deliveries declining 18 percent as part of a planned reduction in rental sales.

GM said the freezing January weather hampered sales in the South, Midwest and Northeast, but that it still expects light vehicle sales for the year to hit highs of 16 million to 16.5 million units. That would be the company’s best year since 2007, when 16.2 million vehicles were sold.