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Hace un frío de mil demonios en la cordillera.

Hace un frío de mil demonios en la cordillera.
It is hellishly cold in the mountain range.
From Lesson 485:Extreme noun intensification·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Hace un frío de mil demonios en la cordillera.

Why is there an un before frío? I thought we just say hace frío.
You normally don't use an article for basic weather phrases like hace frío. However, when you add a description or modifier to the weather noun—in this case, the extreme phrase de mil demonios—you must add the indefinite article un or una.
How does the structure un frío de mil demonios work to intensify the meaning?
This uses the formula un/una + noun + de + noun to create an extreme, colorful description. Instead of just saying hace muchísimo frío (it is very cold), using this structure elevates the intensity by comparing the cold to something vivid and exaggerated.
Literally, de mil demonios means 'of a thousand demons'. Is this a common expression?
Yes, it is a very common, fixed colloquial phrase used to express extreme unpleasantness or intensity. You can pair de mil demonios with other negative nouns too, such as un ruido de mil demonios (a hellish noise) or un dolor de mil demonios (an awful pain).
Why use cordillera instead of montañas here?
While montañas (mountains) would be understood, cordillera specifically refers to a mountain range or an entire linked chain of mountains. In South American countries like Chile, Colombia, or Argentina, la cordillera almost universally refers to the Andes.

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