Often, it is required to design cold-formed steel (CFS) structures to withstand a cold temperature which is commonly experienced in regions like Antarctica. However, the current knowledge of the effect of low temperature on the behavior of CFS is extremely limited. Thus, to set forth new design recommendations, it is necessary to understand the low-temperature behavior of CFS. This paper examines the compressive behavior of the unlipped channel columns subjected to a series of low temperatures. The developed finite element (FE) model closely predicted the ultimate load capacities and the failure modes of CFS columns as demonstrated by the past research. Hence, it was used for further parametric analysis to develop design column curves for different temperatures. The column strengths obtained from FE analysis are compared with the design strength calculated using the Direct Strength Method (DSM) given in the AISI S100-16 specification. The failure mode, load-carrying capacity, and overall compressive behavior of channel under low temperature are presented in this paper. © 2020, Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.