One of the more severe arctic outbreaks in the past ten years had a grip on Minnesota during the week of January 12-16, 2009. Numerous schools closed in Minnesota on January 15th, due to the cold. At 11pm January 12, 2009 the temperature dropped to zero at the Twin Cities International Airport and stayed below zero through 1pm January 16, 2009. This is a stretch of 86 hours at or below zero. This is the longest stretch since 93 hours from 5pm January 31, 1996 to 1pm February 4, 1996. The last time the mercury stayed below zero for three days straight in the Twin Cities was January 28-31, 2004 when the mercury stayed at or below zero for 82 consecutive hours. The coldest air temperature seen so far in the outbreak in the Twin Cities is -21, on January 15. The coldest air temperature found in the state so far is -48 at Babbitt on January 14. This is the coldest minimum in the state since -54 on January 17, 2005.
International Falls set a record low of -40, breaking the old record of -36 that was set in 1979. The coldest air temperature minimum found in the state was Embarrass with -44.
Below are Public Information Statements on the cold from the National Weather Service.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
0830 AM CST THU 15 JAN 2009
MORNING LOW TEMPERATURES AND WIND CHILLS AROUND THE NORTHLAND FOR
THURSDAY JANUARY 16 2009 AS OF 800 AM.
NORTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
CITY TMP WIND CHILL
BABBITT -40
POKEGAMA LAKE DAM -36
EMBARRASS -35
ADOLPH -32
COOK -31
CRANE LAKE -29
ORR -30
FLOODWOOD -28 -57
BRAINERD -28 -47
ELY -27
PINE RIVER -27 -42
LONGVILLE -27
BIG FORK -27
INTL FALLS -26 -46
DULUTH NWS -26
CLOQUET -26 -45
GRAND MARAIS ARPT -25 -46
DULUTH AIRPORT -24 -49
GRAND RAPIDS -24 -42
HIBBING -23
DULUTH HARBOR -21
TWO HARBORS -22 -44
SILVER BAY -18
GRAND MARAIS -15
NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN
MINONG -31
BARNES -28
CLAM LAKE -28
CABLE -25
HAYWARD -24
SUPERIOR ARPT -22
ASHLAND -20
THE COLDEST OVERNIGHT LOW OUTSIDE OF THE NORTHLAND APPEARS TO BE IN
FOSSTON IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...WHICH HAS SO FAR HAD A LOW OF
-38...AND A WIND CHILL OF -59. CLOUD COVER LIMITED SOME NORTHEAST
LOCATIONS FROM DROPPING QUITE AS COLD.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
612 AM CST THU JAN 15 2009
...MINIMUM WIND CHILLS DURING WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY
MORNING...
ARCTIC AIR COMBINED WITH NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH CREATED
SEVERELY LOW WIND CHILLS ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
AND WESTERN WISCONSIN. SOME LOCATIONS LIKELY HAVE YET TO SEE THEIR
COLDEST WIND CHILLS...BUT BELOW IS A LIST OF THE TOP FIVE LOWEST
WIND CHILLS OBSERVED THROUGH 6 AM FOLLOWED BY ALL THE SITE-SPECIFIC
LOWEST WIND CHILLS. THESE WERE COMPILED FROM TOP OF THE HOUR
OBSERVATIONS AT AUTOMATED STATIONS AND LOWER WIND CHILLS MAY HAVE
BEEN OBSERVED BETWEEN THESE READINGS.
LOWEST WIND CHILLS ACROSS THE AREA
RANK SITE WIND CHILL TIME
------------------------------------------------------------
1. MORRIS MN -56 6 AM
2. GLENWOOD MN -54 6 AM
3. ALEXANDRIA MN -51 5 AM
3T. BENSON MN -51 3 AM
3T. GRANITE FALLS MN -51 4 AM
LOWEST WIND CHILLS OBSERVED BY SITE
SITE WIND CHILL TIME
------------------------------------------------------------
ALBERT LEA MN -45 1 AM
ALEXANDRIA MN -51 5 AM
APPLETON MN -49 10 PM
BENSON MN -51 3 AM
BLAINE MN -40 3 AM
BUFFALO MN -40 5 AM
CANBY MN -40 3 AM
EAU CLAIRE WI -38 6 AM
EDEN PRAIRIE MN -40 3 AM
FAIRMONT MN -47 5 AM
FARIBAULT MN -45 5 AM
GLENCOE MN -45 3 AM
GLENWOOD MN -54 6 AM
GRANITE FALLS MN -51 4 AM
LADYSMITH WI -33 4 AM
LAKE ELMO MN -39 3 AM
LAKEVILLE MN -44 3 AM
LITCHFIELD MN -47 6 AM
LITTLE FALLS MN -38 11 PM
LONG PRAIRIE MN -40 5 AM
MADISON MN -47 4 AM
MANKATO MN -42 11 PM
MENOMONIE WI -39 5 AM
MINNEAPOLIS MN -41 3 AM
MORA MN -37 3 AM
MORRIS MN -56 6 AM
NEW RICHMOND WI -33 5 AM
NEW ULM MN -42 2 AM
OLIVIA MN -47 6 AM
OSCEOLA WI -39 4 AM
OWATONNA MN -47 4 AM
PAYNESVILLE MN -48 3 AM
PRINCETON MN -42 4 AM
REDWOOD FALLS MN -49 5 AM
RICE LAKE WI -35 4 AM
ST CLOUD MN -46 5 AM
ST JAMES MN -47 3 AM
ST PAUL MN -40 4 AM
STAPLES MN -45 3 AM
TRACY MN -44 5 AM
WASECA MN -41 6 AM
WILLMAR MN -49 2 AM
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
0815 AM CST WED 14 JAN 2009
MORNING LOW TEMPERATURES AROUND THE NORTHLAND FOR JANUARY 14 2009 AS
OF 800 AM.
NORTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
CITY TMP
EMBARRASS -47
SEAGULL LAKE -45
ASH LAKE -44
ELY -43
ORR 3E -42
CRANE LAKE -42
INTL FALLS -42
COOK -38
EFFIE -36
MARGIE -30
KABETOGAMA -30
12 N ISLE -29
ORR -27
BIG FORK -26
GRAND MARAIS ARPT -25
DULUTH NWS -21
HILL CITY -21
LONGVILLE -20
GRAND RAPIDS -20
PINE RIVER -20
DULUTH AIRPORT -19
MOOSE LAKE -19
BRAINERD -18
SILVER BAY -16
TWO HARBORS -16
GRAND MARAIS -12
DULUTH HARBOR -11
NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN
BARNES -27
SUPERIOR ARPT -23
GLIDDEN -21
CLAM LAKE -21
HAYWARD -18
PORT WING -17
ASHLAND -16
INTERNATIONAL FALLS TIED A RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE OF -42 SET IN
1972.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
959 AM CST TUE JAN 13 2009
...MINIMUM WIND CHILLS DURING MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY
MORNING...
AN ARCTIC AIR MASS FLOODED INTO THE REGION ON MONDAY NIGHT INTO
TUESDAY AFTER THE PASSAGE OF AN ALBERTA CLIPPER SYSTEM. THE BELOW
LISTS ARE OF THE TOP FIVE LOWEST WIND CHILLS OBSERVED FOLLOWED BY
ALL THE SITE-SPECIFIC LOWEST WIND CHILLS. THESE WERE COMPILED FROM
TOP OF THE HOUR OBSERVATIONS AT AUTOMATED STATIONS AND LOWER WIND
CHILLS MAY HAVE BEEN OBSERVED BETWEEN THESE READINGS.
LOWEST WIND CHILLS ACROSS THE AREA
RANK SITE WIND CHILL TIME
------------------------------------------------------------
1. GLENWOOD MN -46 5 AM
2. MORRIS MN -45 5 AM
3. ALEXANDRIA MN -43 5 AM
3T. ST CLOUD MN -43 6 AM
5. BENSON MN -42 6 AM
5T. PRINCETON MN -42 7 AM
LOWEST WIND CHILLS OBSERVED BY SITE
SITE WIND CHILL TIME
------------------------------------------------------------
ALBERT LEA MN -40 6 AM
ALEXANDRIA MN -43 5 AM
APPLETON MN -39 6 AM
BENSON MN -42 6 AM
BLAINE MN -36 7 AM
BUFFALO MN -33 6 AM
CANBY MN -35 5 AM
EAU CLAIRE WI -28 8 AM
EDEN PRAIRIE MN -34 7 AM
FAIRMONT MN -38 5 AM
FARIBAULT MN -34 5 AM
GLENCOE MN -39 7 AM
GLENWOOD MN -46 5 AM
GRANITE FALLS MN -38 4 AM
LADYSMITH WI -29 7 AM
LAKEVILLE MN -40 7 AM
LITCHFIELD MN -39 7 AM
LITTLE FALLS MN -31 2 AM
LONG PRAIRIE MN -38 2 AM
MADISON MN -37 5 AM
MANKATO MN -35 4 AM
MENOMONIE WI -28 9 AM
MINNEAPOLIS MN -33 8 AM
MONTEVIDEO MN -34 3 AM
MORA MN -29 2 AM
MORRIS MN -45 5 AM
NEW RICHMOND WI -29 8 AM
NEW ULM MN -35 12 AM
OLIVIA MN -38 7 AM
OSCEOLA WI -33 8 AM
OWATONNA MN -37 5 AM
PAYNESVILLE MN -36 2 AM
PRINCETON MN -42 7 AM
RED WING MN -31 7 AM
REDWOOD FALLS MN -34 5 AM
RICE LAKE WI -30 5 AM
ST CLOUD MN -43 6 AM
ST JAMES MN -34 5 AM
ST PAUL MN -35 8 AM
STAPLES MN -36 10 PM
TRACY MN -35 2 AM
WASECA MN -35 4 AM
WILLMAR MN -39 4 AM
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
0840 AM CST TUE 13 JAN 2009
MORNING TEMPERATURES AROUND THE NORTHLAND FOR JANUARY 13 2009.
NORTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
CITY TMP
BAUDETTE -36
FLAG ISLAND -35
INTL FALLS -40
WASKISH -35
BIG FORK -38
LONGVILLE -33
GRAND RAPIDS -26
CRANE LAKE -36
ORR -33
ORR 3E -37
COOK -36
BABBITT -42
EMBARRASS -44
KABETOGAMA -35
NORTHOME -36
DULUTH NWS -26
DULUTH HARBOR -18
DULUTH AIRPORT -23
FLOODWOOD -36
NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN
HAYWARD -28
ASHLAND -17
MADELINE ISLAND -15
GORDON RGR. STN. -25
UPSON -13
RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE WAS SET THIS MORNING AT INTERNATIONAL FALLS
-40 TODAY...COMPARED TO 1979 MOST RECENTLY WHEN IT WAS -36.
Last modified: January 9, 2017
For more information contact: [email protected]