Alert archive / Minnesota / Extreme Cold Warnings in 2012

Extreme Cold Warning 1, NWS Twin Cities, MN

January 18, 201228 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this extreme cold warning at Jan 18, 2012, 3:32 AM CST for 28 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at Jan 19, 2012, 12:00 AM CST. It was in force for 12 hr. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jan 18, 2012, 3:32 AM CST (09:32 UTC)
In effect from
Jan 19, 2012, 12:00 AM CST
Expired
Jan 19, 2012, 12:00 PM CST
In force
12 hr
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
All 28 counties

Benton County, MN, Blue Earth County, MN, Brown County, MN, Chippewa County, MN, Douglas County, MN, Faribault County, MN, Isanti County, MN, Kanabec County, MN, Kandiyohi County, MN, Lac qui Parle County, MN, Martin County, MN, McLeod County, MN, Meeker County, MN, Mille Lacs County, MN, Morrison County, MN, Nicollet County, MN, Pope County, MN, Redwood County, MN, Renville County, MN, Sherburne County, MN, Sibley County, MN, Stearns County, MN, Stevens County, MN, Swift County, MN, Todd County, MN, Watonwan County, MN, Wright County, MN, Yellow Medicine County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 88 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:31 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jan 19, 6:00 AM CSTEXTR WIND CHILL -40Staples, MN

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 86 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2012-01-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 2012-01-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 21 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1218 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

006 
WWUS73 KMPX 180932
NPWMPX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
332 AM CST WED JAN 18 2012

...FIRST REAL ARCTIC BLAST OF THE WINTER MOVING IN LATE
TONIGHT...

.AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT IS SET TO MOVE INTO WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA TONIGHT.
STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 30 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL BE
ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP BELOW ZERO OVER
ALL OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA BY MIDNIGHT RESULTING IN DANGEROUS WIND
CHILL VALUES OF 30 TO 35 BELOW ZERO. AN EXTREME COLD WARNING HAS
BEEN ISSUED FOR AREAS NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM NEAR REDWOOD FALLS
TO ELK RIVER..TO CAMBRIDGE. THE DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS WILL PERSIST
THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...AS OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES DIP TO
THE 10 TO 15 BELOW RANGE.

MNZ041>045-047>052-054>059-064>066-073-181800-
/O.NEW.KMPX.EC.W.0001.120119T0600Z-120119T1800Z/
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-
MEEKER-WRIGHT-YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-REDWOOD-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALEXANDRIA...LONG PRAIRIE...
LITTLE FALLS...PRINCETON...MORA...MORRIS...GLENWOOD...ST. CLOUD...
FOLEY...ELK RIVER...CAMBRIDGE...MADISON...BENSON...MONTEVIDEO...
WILLMAR...LITCHFIELD...MONTICELLO...GRANITE FALLS...OLIVIA...
HUTCHINSON...REDWOOD FALLS
332 AM CST WED JAN 18 2012

...EXTREME COLD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON
CST THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED
AN EXTREME COLD WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT
TONIGHT TO NOON CST THURSDAY. 

* TEMPERATURE...DANGEROUS WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES OF 30 TO 35
  BELOW CAN BE EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING...WITH
  NORTHWEST WINDS RANGING FROM 25 TO 30 MPH.

* IMPACTS...RAPIDLY FALLING TEMPERATURES DURING THE EVENING TO
  BELOW ZERO READINGS BY MIDNIGHT. DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS WILL
  DEVELOP BY MIDNIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXTREME COLD WARNING MEAN THAT DANGEROUSLY LOW TEMPERATURES
ARE EXPECTED FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME. FROSTBITE AND
HYPOTHERMIA ARE LIKELY IF EXPOSED TO THESE TEMPERATURES...SO MAKE
SURE A HAT AND HEAVY GLOVES OR MITTENS ARE AVAILABLE.

&&

$$
4 follow-up statements
859 
WWUS73 KMPX 181752
NPWMPX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1152 AM CST WED JAN 18 2012

...FIRST REAL ARCTIC BLAST OF THE WINTER MOVING INTO THE REGION...

.AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT PUSHING ACROSS NORTHWEST MINNESOTA WILL
SWEEP ACROSS THE GOPHER STATE EARLY THIS EVENING AND THEN PUSH
ACROSS WISCONSIN. BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY NORTHWEST
WINDS OF 25 TO 30 MPH WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT. TEMPERATURES WILL
DROP BELOW ZERO OVER ALL OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA BEFORE MIDNIGHT
RESULTING IN DANGEROUS WIND CHILL VALUES OF 30 TO 35 BELOW ZERO.
AN EXTREME COLD WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR AREAS NORTHWEST OF A
LINE FROM NEAR REDWOOD FALLS TO ELK RIVER..TO CAMBRIDGE. THE
DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...AS
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES DIP TO THE 10 TO 15 BELOW RANGE.

MNZ041>045-047>052-054>059-064>066-073-190200-
/O.CON.KMPX.EC.W.0001.120119T0600Z-120119T1800Z/
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-
MEEKER-WRIGHT-YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-REDWOOD-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALEXANDRIA...LONG PRAIRIE...
LITTLE FALLS...PRINCETON...MORA...MORRIS...GLENWOOD...ST. CLOUD...
FOLEY...ELK RIVER...CAMBRIDGE...MADISON...BENSON...MONTEVIDEO...
WILLMAR...LITCHFIELD...MONTICELLO...GRANITE FALLS...OLIVIA...
HUTCHINSON...REDWOOD FALLS
1152 AM CST WED JAN 18 2012

...EXTREME COLD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT
TO NOON CST THURSDAY...

* TEMPERATURE...DANGEROUS WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES OF 30 TO 35 
  BELOW CAN BE EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING...
  WITH NORTHWEST WINDS RANGING FROM 25 TO 30 MPH. 

* IMPACTS...RAPIDLY FALLING TEMPERATURES DURING THE EVENING TO
  BELOW ZERO READINGS BEFORE MIDNIGHT. DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS WILL
  DEVELOP BY MIDNIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXTREME COLD WARNING MEAN THAT DANGEROUSLY LOW TEMPERATURES
ARE EXPECTED FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME. FROSTBITE AND
HYPOTHERMIA ARE LIKELY IF EXPOSED TO THESE TEMPERATURES...SO MAKE
SURE A HAT AND HEAVY GLOVES OR MITTENS ARE AVAILABLE.

&&

$$
864 
WWUS73 KMPX 182107
NPWMPX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
307 PM CST WED JAN 18 2012

...FIRST REAL ARCTIC BLAST OF THE WINTER MOVING INTO THE REGION...

.AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT PUSHING ACROSS NORTHWEST MINNESOTA WILL
SWEEP ACROSS THE GOPHER STATE EARLY THIS EVENING AND THEN PUSH
ACROSS WISCONSIN. BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY NORTHWEST
WINDS OF 25 TO 30 MPH WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT. TEMPERATURES WILL
DROP BELOW ZERO OVER ALL OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA BEFORE MIDNIGHT
RESULTING IN DANGEROUS WIND CHILL VALUES OF 30 TO 35 BELOW ZERO.
AN EXTREME COLD WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR AREAS NORTHWEST OF A
LINE FROM NEAR REDWOOD FALLS TO ELK RIVER..TO CAMBRIDGE. THE
DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...AS
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES DIP TO THE 10 TO 15 BELOW RANGE.

MNZ067-074-075-082-083-091-092-190515-
/O.EXA.KMPX.EC.W.0001.120119T0600Z-120119T1800Z/
SIBLEY-BROWN-NICOLLET-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GAYLORD...NEW ULM...ST. PETER...
ST. JAMES...MANKATO...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH
307 PM CST WED JAN 18 2012

...EXTREME COLD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON
CST THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED
AN EXTREME COLD WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT
TONIGHT TO NOON CST THURSDAY. 

* TEMPERATURE...DANGEROUS WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES OF 30 TO 35 
  BELOW CAN BE EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING... 
  WITH NORTHWEST WINDS RANGING FROM 25 TO 30 MPH. 

* IMPACTS...RAPIDLY FALLING TEMPERATURES DURING THE EVENING TO 
  BELOW ZERO READINGS BEFORE MIDNIGHT. DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS 
  WILL DEVELOP BY MIDNIGHT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXTREME COLD WARNING MEANS THAT DANGEROUSLY LOW TEMPERATURES
ARE EXPECTED FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME. FROSTBITE AND
HYPOTHERMIA ARE LIKELY IF EXPOSED TO THESE TEMPERATURES...SO MAKE
SURE A HAT AND HEAVY GLOVES OR MITTENS ARE AVAILABLE.

&&

$$

MNZ041>045-047>052-054>059-064>066-073-190515-
/O.CON.KMPX.EC.W.0001.120119T0600Z-120119T1800Z/
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-
MEEKER-WRIGHT-YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-REDWOOD-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALEXANDRIA...LONG PRAIRIE...
LITTLE FALLS...PRINCETON...MORA...MORRIS...GLENWOOD...ST. CLOUD...
FOLEY...ELK RIVER...CAMBRIDGE...MADISON...BENSON...MONTEVIDEO...
WILLMAR...LITCHFIELD...MONTICELLO...GRANITE FALLS...OLIVIA...
HUTCHINSON...REDWOOD FALLS
307 PM CST WED JAN 18 2012

...EXTREME COLD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT
TO NOON CST THURSDAY...

* TEMPERATURE...DANGEROUS WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES OF 30 TO 35 
  BELOW CAN BE EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING... 
  WITH NORTHWEST WINDS RANGING FROM 25 TO 30 MPH. 

* IMPACTS...RAPIDLY FALLING TEMPERATURES DURING THE EVENING TO 
  BELOW ZERO READINGS BEFORE MIDNIGHT. DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS 
  WILL DEVELOP BY MIDNIGHT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXTREME COLD WARNING MEANS THAT DANGEROUSLY LOW TEMPERATURES
ARE EXPECTED FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME. FROSTBITE AND
HYPOTHERMIA ARE LIKELY IF EXPOSED TO THESE TEMPERATURES...SO MAKE
SURE A HAT AND HEAVY GLOVES OR MITTENS ARE AVAILABLE.

&&

$$
759 
WWUS73 KMPX 190432
NPWMPX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1032 PM CST WED JAN 18 2012

...DANGEROUS COLD WIND CHILLS THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...

.ARCTIC AIR CONTINUE TO POUR ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST.
TEMPERATURES WILL PLUMMET TO 10 BELOW TO 15 BELOW ZERO RANGE BY
MORNING. THESE BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES COUPLED WITH STRONG GUSTY
NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CREATE WIND CHILL VALUES OF 30 BELOW TO 40
BELOW ZERO OVER PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA. AN
EXTREME COLD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS NORTHWEST OF A
LINE FROM NEAR REDWOOD FALLS TO ELK RIVER TO CAMBRIDGE. THE
DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.


MNZ041>045-047>052-054>059-064>067-073>075-082-083-091-092-191245-
/O.CON.KMPX.EC.W.0001.120119T0600Z-120119T1800Z/
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-
MEEKER-WRIGHT-YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-REDWOOD-
BROWN-NICOLLET-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALEXANDRIA...LONG PRAIRIE...
LITTLE FALLS...PRINCETON...MORA...MORRIS...GLENWOOD...ST. CLOUD...
FOLEY...ELK RIVER...CAMBRIDGE...MADISON...BENSON...MONTEVIDEO...
WILLMAR...LITCHFIELD...MONTICELLO...GRANITE FALLS...OLIVIA...
HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. PETER...
ST. JAMES...MANKATO...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH
1032 PM CST WED JAN 18 2012

...EXTREME COLD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST
THURSDAY...

* TEMPERATURE...DANGEROUS WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES OF 30 TO 35
  BELOW CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. NORTHWEST WINDS
  RANGING FROM 25 TO 30 MPH DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...THEN
  DIMINISH TO 10 MPH THURSDAY MORNING.


* IMPACTS...FALLING TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW ZERO WITH DANGEROUS WIND
  CHILLS WILL DEVELOP BY MIDNIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXTREME COLD WARNING MEANS THAT DANGEROUSLY LOW TEMPERATURES
ARE EXPECTED FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME. FROSTBITE AND
HYPOTHERMIA ARE LIKELY IF EXPOSED TO THESE TEMPERATURES...SO MAKE
SURE A HAT AND HEAVY GLOVES OR MITTENS ARE AVAILABLE.

&&

$$
338 
WWUS73 KMPX 191132
NPWMPX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
532 AM CST THU JAN 19 2012

...DANGEROUS COLD WIND CHILLS THROUGH NOON...

.ARCTIC AIR WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST TODAY. TEMPERATURES
WILL REMAIN AROUND 5 TO 15 BELOW ZERO...AND WITH WIND SPEEDS
AROUND 10 TO 20 MPH...WIND CHILL VALUES WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN 30 TO
35 DEGREES BELOW ZERO THROUGH NOON. THIS EXTREME COLD WARNING
REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS WEST OF A LINE FROM FAIRMONT TO THE
WESTERN TWIN CITIES...TO CAMBRIDGE THROUGH NOON.

MNZ041>045-047>052-054>059-064>067-073>075-082-083-091-092-191800-
/O.CON.KMPX.EC.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120119T1800Z/
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-
MEEKER-WRIGHT-YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-REDWOOD-
BROWN-NICOLLET-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALEXANDRIA...LONG PRAIRIE...
LITTLE FALLS...PRINCETON...MORA...MORRIS...GLENWOOD...ST. CLOUD...
FOLEY...ELK RIVER...CAMBRIDGE...MADISON...BENSON...MONTEVIDEO...
WILLMAR...LITCHFIELD...MONTICELLO...GRANITE FALLS...OLIVIA...
HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. PETER...
ST. JAMES...MANKATO...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH
532 AM CST THU JAN 19 2012

...EXTREME COLD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TODAY...

* TEMPERATURE...DANGEROUS WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES OF 30 TO 35
  BELOW CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH NOON. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL RANGE
  FROM 10 TO 20 MPH DURING THE MORNING.

* IMPACTS...DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS THROUGH NOON. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXTREME COLD WARNING MEANS THAT DANGEROUSLY LOW TEMPERATURES
ARE EXPECTED FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME. FROSTBITE AND
HYPOTHERMIA ARE LIKELY IF EXPOSED TO THESE TEMPERATURES...SO MAKE
SURE A HAT AND HEAVY GLOVES OR MITTENS ARE AVAILABLE.

&&

$$

JLT

Nearby

Extreme Cold Warnings in Minnesota, 2012Every extreme cold warning in 2012

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.