A body of a McGregor man was found on February 23rd, 2011. The man was reported to have last been seen alive, wearing a white T-shirt and jeans at 300 AM on January 18th, 2011.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS DLH wrote it up.
A body of a McGregor man was found on February 23rd, 2011. The man was reported to have last been seen alive, wearing a white T-shirt and jeans at 300 AM on January 18th, 2011. The low temperature that morning was, unofficially, -11 F at McGregor. Surrounding stations reported 0 F at Brainerd MN, -15 F at Hibbing MN and -2 F at Duluth MN.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Duluth, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 17, 11:39 PM CST, 2 hours 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1139 PM CST MON JAN 17 2011
.AVIATION.../06Z TAF ISSUANCE/
MVFR CIGS PREVALENT OVER MOST TERMINALS...WITH DLH TO HAVE MVFR
CIGS BY 07Z. LEADING EDGE OF CLEAR SKIES FROM KTVF TO KFGN MAKING
VERY SLOW PROGRESS TO THE SOUTHEAST. EXPECT CLOUDS TO SCATTER BY
10Z AT INL AND GETTING TO DLH AROUND 14Z. GFS LAMP GUIDANCE A
LITTLE SLOWER BY TWO HOURS IN BRINGING IN THE PARTIAL CLEARING.
HYR LOOKS TO KEEP MVFR CIGS THROUGH THE ENTIRE TAF FORECAST PERIOD
AS LAKE EFFECT CLOUDS AND NORTHERLY WINDS WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN
WISCONSIN THROUGH LATE TUESDAY.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 822 PM CST MON JAN 17 2011/
DISCUSSION...
CLEARING IS QUITE SLOW THIS EVENING...WITH LATEST SATELLITE
IMAGERY SHOWING CLOUDS STILL JUST NORTH OF KENORA. TRACKING THE
BACK EDGE OF THE CLOUDS WOULD BRING CLEARING INTO KINL AROUND
08Z...TO A KELO/KGPZ/KPWC LINE BETWEEN 11-12Z...AND TO A
KCKC/KDLH/KMZH LINE BETWEEN 14-15Z. THERE WAS SOME CLEARING
WORKING THROUGH WESTERN MINNESOTA THAT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO
MAKE IT TO OUR SOUTHWEST ZONES SOONER...HOWEVER CLOUDS WERE
SPREADING BACK TO THE SOUTHWEST AND THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKELY
ANYMORE. WE WILL LIKELY NEED TO INCREASE LOWS TONIGHT...AND THAT
MAY CAUSE SOME PROBLEMS WITH OUR WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN SPOTS. AT
THIS TIME THOUGH...WE WILL LEAVE THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY AS
IS...ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE BORDERLINE IN SPOTS DUE TO WARMER OVERNIGHT
LOWS. NAM DOES WANT TO SPEED UP CLEARING LATE...SO WE DON'T WANT
TO MAKE TOO BIG A CHANGE. WE'LL MONITOR SATELLITE FOR AWHILE
LONGER...AND LOOK AT THE LATEST NAM BEFORE SENDING OUT ANY UPDATES.
AS FOR LES...CONDITIONS WILL BECOME MORE FAVORABLE OVER THE NEXT
FEW HOURS...SO NO ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT CHANGES ARE EXPECTED
THERE.
PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 558 PM CST MON JAN 17 2011/
DISCUSSION...
WE WILL PROBABLY ISSUE A LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY FOR ASHLAND AND
IRON COUNTIES TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING.
A BRIEF...BUT GOOD SET UP DEVELOPS TONIGHT FOR LAKE EFFECT SNOW.
LOW LEVEL WINDS VEER TO NORTHERLY AROUND OR SHORTLY AFTER 03Z WITH
GOOD LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES. SOUNDINGS SHOW THE BULK OF THE LOW
LEVEL SOUNDING TEMPERATURES IN THE DGZ. DRY AIR DOES MOVE IN LATE
TONIGHT...BUT SNOW SHOWERS SHOULD ALREADY BE ONGOING...AND IT WILL
TAKE AWHILE FOR THE DRY AIR TO SHUT DOWN THE SNOW. WE WILL ISSUE
THE ADVISORY THROUGH 15Z TUE.
PRODUCTS WILL BE ISSUED BY 0030Z.
PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 544 PM CST MON JAN 17 2011/
AVIATION.../0Z TAF ISSUANCE/
BACKED OFF A BIT ON THE SCATTERING OF CIGS FOR ALL TERMINALS AS
MVFR CLOUD DECK OVER EASTERN MANITOBA AND MOST OF ONTARIO
CONTINUES TO DIVE SOUTH. INL WILL BE FIRST TO GO VFR AT 10Z
FOLLOWED BY HIB AT 16Z AND DLH AT 18Z. KEPT THE MVFR CIGS FOR BRD
AND HYR THROUGH THE ENTIRE TAF PERIOD AS NAM CONDENSATION PRESSURE
DEFICITS FAVOR A CONTINUATION OF CLOUDS FOR THE SOUTHERN
AERODROMES.
&&
.POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DLH -5 4 -10 4 / 30 0 10 10
INL -22 -1 -25 4 / 20 0 10 10
BRD -5 4 -14 4 / 30 0 10 10
HYR 6 11 -9 10 / 40 10 20 10
ASX 8 14 -4 10 / 60 60 50 30
&&
.DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM CST TUESDAY FOR MNZ010>012-
018>021-025-026-033>037.
WI...LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM CST TUESDAY FOR WIZ003-004.
LS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM CST TUESDAY FOR LSZ121-146>148.
&&
SHORT TERM...MELDE
AVIATION...KKHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 647 PM CST MON JAN 17 2011 MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-006>009-181130- KOOCHICHING-NORTHERN ST. LOUIS-NORTHERN COOK/NORTHERN LAKE- NORTHERN ITASCA-CENTRAL ST. LOUIS-SOUTHERN LAKE/LAKESHORE- SOUTHERN COOK/LAKESHORE-NORTHERN CASS-SOUTHERN ITASCA- SOUTHERN CASS-CROW WING-NORTHERN AITKIN-SOUTHERN AITKIN- CARLTON/SOUTHERN ST. LOUIS-PINE-DOUGLAS-BAYFIELD-ASHLAND-IRON- BURNETT-WASHBURN-SAWYER-PRICE- 647 PM CST MON JAN 17 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA STARTING THIS EVENING AND ENDING AT 10 AM TUESDAY. SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS FROM OUR OFFICE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION. LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ACROSS THE SNOWBELT OF ASHLAND AND IRON COUNTIES TONIGHT. 2 TO 5 INCHES IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. A LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY VERY COLD TEMPERATURES AND WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY MORNING...AND THEN AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ALONG PORTIONS OF THE SOUTH SHORE THROUGH TUESDAY WITH ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. A LAKE SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 9 AM FOR THE SNOWBELT OF ASHLAND AND IRON COUNTIES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT. LSZ121-140>148-181130- BAYFIELD TO OAK POINT WI-GRAND PORTAGE TO GRAND MARAIS MN- GRAND MARAIS TO TACONITE HARBOR MN- TACONITE HARBOR TO SILVER BAY HARBOR MN- SILVER BAY HARBOR TO TWO HARBORS MN-TWO HARBORS TO DULUTH MN- DULUTH MN TO PORT WING WI-PORT WING TO SAND ISLAND WI- SAND ISLAND TO BAYFIELD WI-OAK POINT TO SAXON HARBOR WI- 647 PM CST MON JAN 17 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR FROM PORT WING TO SAXON HARBOR. SEE THE LATEST NEARSHORE MARINE FORECAST FOR MORE INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FROM PORT WING TO SAXON HARBOR. MELDE MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESS: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DULUTH (ALL LOWER CASE)
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
811 PM CST MON JAN 17 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0800 PM SNOW NASHWAUK 47.38N 93.17W
01/17/2011 M2.0 INCH ITASCA MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0.9 INCHES OF NEW SNOWFALL OVER THE PAST 12 HOURS.
&&
KKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
837 PM CST MON JAN 17 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0710 PM SNOW 7 NW TWO HARBORS 47.10N 91.78W
01/17/2011 M4.3 INCH LAKE MN TRAINED SPOTTER
1.2 INCHES OF NEW SNOWFALL OVER THE PAST 12 HOURS.
0810 PM SNOW 8 S HAYWARD 45.89N 91.48W
01/17/2011 M2.0 INCH SAWYER WI TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
KKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
852 PM CST MON JAN 17 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0851 PM SNOW 8 NW GRAND MARAIS 47.84N 90.47W
01/17/2011 M5.0 INCH COOK MN TRAINED SPOTTER
PIT LAKE
&&
KKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1022 PM CST MON JAN 17 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1021 PM SNOW 7 ESE SUPERIOR 46.66N 91.92W
01/17/2011 M1.1 INCH DOUGLAS WI TRAINED SPOTTER
STORM TOTAL.
&&
KKThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
A McGregor man was last seen alive at 300 AM, wearing inadequate clothing for the cold on January 18th. He was found, frozen to death according to autopsy results, 5 miles south of McGregor, more than a month later.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, January 2011
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 286189.