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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