Friday, January 21, 2011

Northern Minnesota Coldest in 40+ Years


Images (click to enlarge): January 21, 2011 daily low temperatures in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, from National Weather Service; US/Canada surface temperatures at 6 am CST, from University of Illinois; Temperature and dewpoint at International Falls for 24 hours ending 2 pm CST, January 21, from National Weather Service

4 PM Update: The National Weather Service has supplied these additional factoids:
The -25 degree low at Duluth is tied for the 5th lowest minimum temperature in the last decade (since 2000). The lowest minimum temperature of the 2000s thus far has been -30 on January 29, 2004.

The state record low temperature in Minnesota was recorded at Tower, Minnesota on February 2, 1996. The low was -60 degrees. That was also the coldest temperature ever recorded east of the Mississippi River.

The state record low temperature in Wisconsin was recorded at Couderay on February 2nd and February 4th of 1996. The temperatures dipped down to -55 degrees both nights.
Temperatures by mid-afternoon had warmed to -8° at International Falls.

Original post:
The National Weather Service reports that this morning's low of -46° at International Falls, Minnesota tied the all-time record low at the current airport location set on January 6, 1968. Airport records began in 1939. In the overall International Falls record, which dates back to 1897, this was the 5th coldest reading. The all-time coldest temperature at International Falls is -55°. This occurred on January 6, 1909. Today's -46° temperature was matched at a co-operative reporting station at Babbit MN.

In all, 21 of the 31 January daily record lows at International Falls are -40° or colder. Three daily lows are -50° or colder, all of them set in 1909, on the 6th (all-time record of -55°), 7th (-54°) and 11th (-50°). The average daily low in January is -8.4°.

Other low temperatures for January 21 reported by the National Weather Service include:
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 ASH LAKE MN ST LOUIS MNDOT
-43 EFFIE MN ITASCA RAWS
-40 LITTLEFORK MN KOOCHICHING COOP
-40 BIRCHDALE MN KOOCHICHING MNDOT
-39 MINONG WI WASHBURN RAWS
-38 CASS LAKE MN CASS RAWS
-38 SQUAW LAKE MN ITASCA MNDOT
-38 CUTFOOT MN ITASCA RAWS
-38 BOVEY MN ITASCA PRIVATE
-38 KABETOGAMA MN ST LOUIS COOP
-38 CRANE LAKE MN ST LOUIS AWOS
-37 MARGIE MN KOOCHICHING MNDOT
-37 HILL CITY MN ITASCA RAWS
-37 ELY MN ST LOUIS RAWS
-37 RICE LAKE MN AITKIN RAWS
-36 LONG LAKE MN ITASCA PRIVATE
-36 JACOBSON MN AITKIN MNDOT
-36 BARNES WI BAYFIELD RAWS
-36 LONGVILLE MN CASS AWOS
-36 PINE RIVER MN CASS AWOS
-36 SEAGULL LAKE MN COOK RAWS
-36 WRIGHT MN ST LOUIS COOP
-35 KABETOGAMA MN ST LOUIS RAWS
-34 MCGRATH MN AITKIN MNDOT
-34 ASH RIVER MN ST LOUIS PRIVATE
-34 GUNFLINT LAKE MN COOK COOP
-34 HAYWARD WI SAWYER RAWS
-34 LIND WI BURNETT RAWS
-34 MOOSE LAKE MN CARLTON RAWS
-33 GRAND RAPIDS MN ITASCA AWOS
-33 COHASSET MN ITASCA PRIVATE
-33 MCGREGOR MN AITKIN AWOS
-33 AITKIN MN AITKIN AWOS
-33 HIBBING MN ST LOUIS RAWS
-33 JENKINS MN CROW WING PRIVATE
-33 EMILY MN CROW WING MNDOT
-33 BRAINERD MN CROW WING ASOS
-33 MOOSE LAKE MN CARLTON AWOS
-33 SOUTH RANGE WI DOUGLAS PRIVATE
-32 GRANTSBURG WI BURNETT PRIVATE
-31 SILVER BAY MN LAKE AWOS
-31 TWO HARBORS MN LAKE AWOS
-31 LEADER MN CASS PRIVATE
-31 DEER RIVER MN ITASCA PRIVATE
-31 SIREN WI BURNETT AWOS
-31 GRANTSBURG WI BURNETT WIDOT
-31 HINCKLEY MN PINE PRIVATE
-30 BREEZY POINT MN CROW WING PRIVATE
-30 TUCKER LAKE MN COOK PRIVATE
-30 GLIDDEN WI ASHLAND RAWS
-30 GORDON WI DOUGLAS RAWS
-29 I-35 MILE 198 MN PINE MNDOT
-29 SEELEY WI SAWYER PRIVATE
-29 4W CLAM LAKE WI BAYFIELD PRIVATE
-29 ISABELLA MN LAKE RAWS
-28 NISSWA MN CROW WING PRIVATE
-28 MERRIFIELD MN CROW WING PRIVATE
-26 DRUMMOND WI BAYFIELD SCHOOL
-26 SUPERIOR WI DOUGLAS AWOS
-26 PHILLIPS WI PRICE AWOS
-25 FERNBERG MN LAKE RAWS
-25 WASHBURN WI BAYFIELD RAWS
-25 PINE CITY MN PINE SCHOOL
-25 DULUTH MN ST LOUIS ASOS
-24 I-35 MILE 181 MN PINE MNDOT
-22 HIGH BRIDGE WI ASHLAND PRIVATE
-22 MAPLE WI DOUGLAS PRIVATE
-21 SILVER CREEK MN LAKE PRIVATE

No comments:

Seasonal Outlook

Latest seasonal forecast: Click here.


Latest 3-month temperature outlook from Climate Prediction Center/NWS/NOAA.