Extreme Cold: January 20-21, 2011

The coldest air mass to hit Minnesota in two years sideswiped the state on January 20-21, 2011. The coldest air temperature found on January 21 was -46 at International Falls, the coldest temperature at the "Icebox of the Nation" since -46 on January 6, 1968. The temperature also bottomed out at -46 at Babbitt as well. This was the coldest air to move over Minnesota since January 14, 2009 when Babbitt saw -48.

There were also some impressive wind chills as well as the cold air moved into the state. The coldest wind chill recorded at the Twin Cities International Airport was -28 at midnight January 21.

Listed below are Public Information Statements from the National Weather Service.

 

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
921 AM CST FRI JAN 21 2011
...FRIGID TEMPERATURES CHILL THE NORTHLAND...
THE FOLLOWING ARE OBSERVED LOW TEMPERATURES THROUGH 900 AM FRIDAY
JANUARY 21 2011. TEMPERATURES ARE IN DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
TEMP    LOCATION                 ST  COUNTY           SOURCE
----    -----------------------  --  --------------   -------
-46     INTERNATIONAL FALLS      MN  KOOCHICHING      ASOS
-46     BABBITT                  MN  ST LOUIS         COOP
-43     EMBARRASS                MN  ST LOUIS         COOP
-43     BIGFORK                  MN  ITASCA           RAWS
-43     ASHLAKE                  MN  ST LOUIS         MNDOT
-43     EFFIE                    MN  ITASCA           RAWS
-40     BIRCHDALE                MN  KOOCHICHING      MNDOT
-39     MINONG                   WI  WASHBURN         RAWS
-38     KABETOGAMA               MN  ST LOUIS         COOP
-38     CRANE LAKE               MN  ST LOUIS         AWOS
-37     HILL CITY                MN  ITASCA           RAWS
-37     ELY                      MN  ST LOUIS         RAWS
-36     LONGVILLE                MN  CASS             AWOS
-36     PINE RIVER               MN  CASS             AWOS
-36     SEAGULL LAKE             MN  COOK             RAWS
-36     WRIGHT                   MN  ST LOUIS         COOP
-34     GUNFLINT LAKE            MN  COOK             COOP
-34     HAYWARD                  WI  SAWYER           RAWS
-33     GRAND RAPIDS             MN  ITASCA           AWOS
-33     MCGREGOR                 MN  AITKIN           AWOS
-33     AITKIN                   MN  AITKIN           AWOS
-33     HIBBING                  MN  ST LOUIS         RAWS
-33     BRAINERD                 MN  CROW WING        ASOS
-33     MOOSE LAKE               MN  CARLTON          AWOS
-31     SILVER BAY               MN  LAKE             AWOS
-31     TWO HARBORS              MN  LAKE             AWOS
-31     SIREN                    WI  BURNETT          AWOS
-30     GORDON                   WI  ASHLAND          RAWS
-26     SUPERIOR                 WI  DOUGLAS          AWOS
-26     PHILLIPS                 WI  PRICE            AWOS
-24     DULUTH                   MN  ST LOUIS         ASOS
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
626 AM CST FRI JAN 21 2011
...MINIMUM WIND CHILLS FROM THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING...
THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF LOWEST WIND CHILLS OBSERVED ACROSS
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN DURING
THURSDAY JANUARY 20TH INTO FRIDAY MORNING JANUARY 21ST. THIS IS
THROUGH 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING. A STRONG COLD FRONT HAD MOVED SOUTH
THROUGH THE AREA DURING THURSDAY MORNING...WITH GUSTY NORTHWEST
WINDS AND FALLING TEMPERATURES FOLLOWING THE FRONTAL PASSAGE.
THE COMBINATION OF THESE LED TO WIDESPREAD WIND CHILLS OF 25 TO
35 BELOW ZERO...WITH TEMPORARY READINGS AT 40 BELOW ZERO IN WEST
CENTRAL MINNESOTA. NOTE THAT THESE ARE THE MINIMUM OF WIND CHILLS
OBSERVED AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR FROM AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVING
STATIONS AND SLIGHTLY LOWER READINGS MAY HAVE OCCURRED BETWEEN
OBSERVATIONS.
LOCATION             LOWEST WIND CHILL        TIME
--------------------------------------------------
MORRIS                     -46                4 AM
GLENWOOD                   -44                6 AM
APPLETON                   -40                5 AM
STAPLES                    -40               10 PM
LADYSMITH                  -39                5 AM
MADISON                    -39                5 AM
REDWOOD FALLS              -39                6 AM
NEW ULM                    -38                2 AM
OWATONNA                   -38                3 AM
STANTON                    -38                4 AM
GRANITE FALLS              -37                5 AM
WASECA                     -36                3 AM
BENSON                     -35                9 PM
GLENCOE                    -35               12 AM
HUTCHINSON                 -35               12 AM
WILLMAR                    -35                9 AM
LAKEVILLE                  -34                2 AM
LITCHFIELD                 -34               10 PM
LONG PRAIRIE               -34               12 AM
ST JAMES                   -34                1 AM
FARIBAULT                  -33               12 AM
PAYNESVILLE                -33                9 PM
ST CLOUD                   -33               10 PM
EAU CLAIRE                 -32                4 AM
MANKATO                    -32               10 PM
PRINCETON                  -31               11 PM
SAUK CENTRE                -31                9 PM
CANBY                      -30                5 AM
FAIRMONT                   -30               12 AM
ST PAUL                    -30                3 AM
MAPLE LAKE                 -29               12 AM
MORA                       -29               12 AM
NEW RICHMOND               -29                1 AM
OLIVIA                     -29               10 PM
EDEN PRAIRIE               -28               12 AM
MINNEAPOLIS                -28               12 AM
RUSH CITY                  -28               12 AM
ALBERT LEA                 -27                8 PM
BLAINE                     -27                1 AM
CAMBRIDGE                  -27                4 AM
CRYSTAL                    -27               12 AM
LITTLE FALLS               -27                7 PM
MENOMONIE                  -27                4 AM
LAKE ELMO                  -26               10 PM
Last modified: December 7, 2015

 

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