Alert archive / Minnesota / Extreme Cold Warnings in 2012

Extreme Cold Warning 2, NWS Twin Cities, MN

February 10, 20129 counties in Minnesota

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this extreme cold warning at Feb 10, 2012, 3:15 PM CST for 9 counties in Minnesota. It took effect at Feb 11, 2012, 3:00 AM CST. It was in force for . No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 10, 2012, 3:15 PM CST (21:15 UTC)
In effect from
Feb 11, 2012, 3:00 AM CST
Expired
Feb 11, 2012, 2:59 AM CST
In force
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN

Counties Benton County, MN, Douglas County, MN, Mille Lacs County, MN, Morrison County, MN, Pope County, MN, Stearns County, MN, Stevens County, MN, Swift County, MN, Todd County, MN

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 143 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:19 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 141 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 12:00Z on 2012-02-10Temperature 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 12:00Z on 2012-02-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -130 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1055 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
79 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-130 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-23 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.

243 
WWUS73 KMPX 102115
NPWMPX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
315 PM CST FRI FEB 10 2012

...DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS EXPECTED FOR PORTIONS OF WEST
CENTRAL MINNESOTA TONIGHT...

.ARCTIC AIR DROPPING INTO THE REGION THROUGH TONIGHT COMBINED WITH
NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 15 MPH WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND
CHILL READINGS AS LOW AS 35 BELOW ZERO. AREAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO WIND
CHILL VALUES IN THE RANGE OF 25 TO 35 BELOW ZERO INCLUDE THOSE
ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM APPLETON TO PAYNESVILLE TO SAINT
CLOUD TO MILACA IN WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. RESIDENTS AND VISITORS
ACROSS THE AFFECTED AREA SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR DANGEROUSLY COLD
CONDITIONS THAT CAN CAUSE FROSTBITE OR HYPOTHERMIA. DRESS WARMLY
IN LAYERS...ENSURE HEATING SOURCES ARE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER...AND
CHECK FREQUENTLY ON THE ELDERLY...CHILDREN AND PETS.

MNZ041>044-047>050-055-110600-
/O.NEW.KMPX.EC.W.0002.120211T0900Z-120211T1500Z/
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-BENTON-
SWIFT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALEXANDRIA...LONG PRAIRIE...
LITTLE FALLS...PRINCETON...MORRIS...GLENWOOD...ST. CLOUD...
FOLEY...BENSON
315 PM CST FRI FEB 10 2012

...EXTREME COLD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM CST
SATURDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED
AN EXTREME COLD WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM
CST SATURDAY. 

* TEMPERATURE...LOW TEMPERATURES SATURDAY MORNING WILL RANGE FROM
  6 BELOW ZERO TO 15 BELOW ZERO. WIND CHILL VALUES WILL RANGE FROM
  25 BELOW ZERO TO 35 BELOW ZERO.

* IMPACTS...BE PREPARED FOR DANGEROUSLY COLD CONDITIONS THAT CAN
  CAUSE FROSTBITE OR HYPOTHERMIA. MAKE SURE HEATING SOURCES ARE
  ADEQUATE AND IN WORKING ORDER...ESPECIALLY FOR THE ELDERLY...
  CHILDREN AND PETS. IF TRAVELING...ENSURE YOUR VEHICLE IS IN
  GOOD WORKING ORDER AND HAVE A WINTER WEATHER SURVIVAL KIT.

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.

&&

$$

JPC
2 follow-up statements
893 
WWUS73 KMPX 110440
NPWMPX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1040 PM CST FRI FEB 10 2012

...DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS EXPECTED FOR PORTIONS OF WEST
CENTRAL INTO CENTRAL MINNESOTA TONIGHT...

.ARCTIC AIR DROPPING INTO THE REGION THROUGH TONIGHT COMBINED
WITH NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 15 MPH WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILL
READINGS IN THE 30 BELOW ZERO RANGE LATE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY
MORNING IN PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THIS
INCLUDES AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM APPLETON TO
PAYNESVILLE TO SAINT CLOUD TO MILACA. THESE COLD CONDITIONS CAN
CAUSE FROSTBITE OR HYPOTHERMIA. DRESS WARMLY IN LAYERS AND CARRY A
SLEEPING BAG..BLANKETS...OR EXTRA WARM CLOTHS IF TRAVELING.

MNZ041>044-047>050-055-111245-
/O.CON.KMPX.EC.W.0002.120211T0900Z-120211T1500Z/
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-BENTON-
SWIFT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALEXANDRIA...LONG PRAIRIE...
LITTLE FALLS...PRINCETON...MORRIS...GLENWOOD...ST. CLOUD...
FOLEY...BENSON
1040 PM CST FRI FEB 10 2012

...EXTREME COLD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM CST
SATURDAY...

* TEMPERATURE...LOW TEMPERATURES EARLY SATURDAY MORNING WILL
  RANGE FROM 6 BELOW ZERO TO NEAR 15 BELOW ZERO. WIND CHILL VALUES
  WILL RANGE FROM 25 BELOW ZERO TO 30 BELOW ZERO.

* IMPACTS...BE PREPARED FOR DANGEROUSLY COLD CONDITIONS THAT CAN
  CAUSE FROSTBITE OR HYPOTHERMIA.  IF TRAVELING...ENSURE YOUR
  VEHICLE IS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AND HAVE A WINTER WEATHER
  SURVIVAL KIT.

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.

&&

$$
670 
WWUS73 KMPX 110859
NPWMPX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
259 AM CST SAT FEB 11 2012

...EXTREME COLD WARNING CANCELLED...

.THE EXTREME COLD WARNING FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA HAS
BEEN CANCELLED. WIND CHILL READINGS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO REACH THE
30 BELOW TO 35 BELOW ZERO RANGE THIS MORNING.  

MNZ041>044-047>050-055-111000-
/O.CAN.KMPX.EC.W.0002.120211T0900Z-120211T1500Z/
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-BENTON-
SWIFT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALEXANDRIA...LONG PRAIRIE...
LITTLE FALLS...PRINCETON...MORRIS...GLENWOOD...ST. CLOUD...
FOLEY...BENSON
259 AM CST SAT FEB 11 2012

...EXTREME COLD WARNING IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS
CANCELLED THE EXTREME COLD WARNING. 

WIND CHILL VALUES EARLY THIS MORNING WILL NOT BE AS COLD AS
EARLIER FORECAST WITH READINGS AROUND 25 BELOW ZERO.

$$

RAH

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.