Extreme Cold in Minnesota, January 22 to 23, 2014

Name: Extreme Cold in Minnesota, January 22 to 23, 2014
Start: 2014-01-22T18:00
End: 2014-01-23T11:00
Location: Minnesota

January 22 to 23, 2014 · NWS DLH · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

The combination of wind and cold temperatures resulted in a period of widespread dangerously cold wind chills around -40 to -45 degrees across much of northeast Minnesota.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 15

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS DLH wrote it up.

The combination of wind and cold temperatures resulted in a period of widespread dangerously cold wind chills around -40 to -45 degrees across much of northeast Minnesota.

What forecasters said that day

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 22, 5:27 PM CST, 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 22, 5:27 PM CST, 33 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
527 PM CST WED JAN 22 2014

.SYNOPSIS...
ISSUED AT 305 PM CST WED JAN 22 2014

DEEPLY STACKED LOW OVER THE CTRL GREAT LAKES HAS SWEPT A POOL OF
VERY COLD AIR SOUTH INTO THE CWA. SKIES HAVE GENERALLY CLEARED THIS
AFTN OVER MOST OF THE CWA EXCEPT DOWNWIND OF LAKE SUPERIOR ACROSS
NW WISC. LES HAS BEEN OCCURRING TO SOME DEGREE OVER THE SNOWBELTS
HOWEVER SO FAR AMOUNTS HAVE REPORTED TO BE 1 TO 2 INCHES. MODIS
IMAGERY TODAY SHOWED MUCH MORE OPEN WATER THAN YESTERDAY AT THIS
TIME. GUSTY NW WINDS WORKED ON INITIALLY NARROW CORRIDOR OF ICE
FREE WATER OFF NORTH SHORE AND CREATED A LARGER OPENING. VIS
IMAGERY HAS SHOWN A FAIRLY EVEN AMOUNT OF PLUME DEVELOPMENT IN
LAKE BDRY LYR SO LATENT HEAT EXCHANGE HAS BEEN OCCURRING. MID LVL
MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH CLOSED LOW IS WRAPPING WEST TOWARDS ERN WISC
ZONES AS OF MID AFTN. GUSTY NW WINDS...LOCALLY 35 MPH+...HAVE
OCCURRED FROM THE BRD LAKES REGION TO TWIN PORTS THIS AFTN.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 305 PM CST WED JAN 22 2014

DEEP LOW OVER CTRL GT LAKES WILL MOVE EAST TO ERN GT LAKES BY
EARLY THURSDAY. A FAVORABLY MOIST CYCLONIC FLOW SHOULD KEEP LES
GOING OVER SOUTH SHORE THROUGH THE EVENING/EARLY MORNING. WILL
NEED TO MONITOR RADAR/GROUND REPORTS TO DETERMINE NECESSITY OF AN
UPGRADE TO WARNING. GIVEN HOW LITTLE HAS FALLEN SO FAR WILL LET
ADDITIONAL 5 INCH POTENTIAL BE HANDLED BY THE EXISTING ADVISORY.
GUSTY WINDS SHOULD REMAIN INTO THE EVENING AND ENOUGH GRADIENT
CONTINUES TO HAVE WIND CHILL ISSUES ONCE AGAIN. WIND CHILL WARNING
LOOKS LIKELY ACROSS THE NE MN AND WRN WISC ZONES WITH AN ADVISORY
FARTHER EAST.

TOMORROW...SFC HIGH OVER DAKOTAS WILL SLIDE SOUTHEAST INTO KANSAS
SO WE MAINTAIN SOME PRESSURE GRADIENT AT THE SFC. THIS WILL ALLOW
NASTY WIND CHILLS TO PERSIST THROUGH MIDDAY. LES WILL SHUT DOWN
WITH MORE SIGNIFICANT DRYING IN THE DEEP LAYER AND INCREASED
SUBSIDENCE INVERSION BUILDING DOWN TO ABOUT 2K FT. TEMPS REMAIN
WELL BLO CLIMO.

.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 305 PM CST WED JAN 22 2014

WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE SLIDING TO THE EAST THUR NIGHT
AS AN UPPER S/W DROPS IN FROM THE NORTH EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. THIS
S/W WILL TRIGGER WIDESPREAD LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS OVER MUCH OF THE
REGION. A SECONDARY UPPER WAVE WILL MOVE IN QUICKLY FROM THE NW
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND KEEP SNOW SHOWERS GOING THROUGH THE
EVENING. SNOW AMOUNTS THUR NIGHT THROUGH FRI NIGHT WILL GENERALLY
RANGE FROM 1-3 INCHES...WITH THE HIGHER AMTS ACROSS THE ARROWHEAD
AND INTO PARTS OF NW WI. A WEAK AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SFC
WILL BUILD IN BEHIND THE DEPARTING UPPER WAVES ON SATURDAY...AND
BRING IN DRY CONDITIONS FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEKEND.
HOWEVER...ANOTHER CLIPPER SYSTEM WILL DROP SWD FROM SRN SASKATCHEWAN
THROUGH THE ERN DAKOTAS AND INTO S-CENTRAL MN LATE SAT NIGHT AND
THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY WITH ADDITIONAL LIGHT ACCUMULATING SNOW
POSSIBLE...MAINLY OVER THE SERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST
AREA...INCLUDING THE BRAINERD LAKES AREA. ANOTHER DOMINATE AREA OF
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH VERY COLD TEMPERATURES
EXPECTED...AND SLIGHT CHANCES FOR LAKE EFFECT SNOW ALONG THE SOUTH
SHORE.

TEMPERATURES WILL START OUT FAIRLY MILD THUR NIGHT AND FRIDAY WITH
MORNING LOWS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS BELOW ZERO...AND AFTERNOON HIGHS
IN THE 20S. HOWEVER...CONDITIONS WILL RETURN TO MUCH BELOW AVERAGE
ON SATURDAY AS THE ARCTIC DOOR OPENS UPON THE NORTHLAND AND MUCH OF
THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES AREA ONCE AGAIN. HIGHS AROUND ZERO OR
SINGLE DIGITS BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL FALL INTO
THE TEENS AND 20S BELOW ZERO. BRISK WINDS LATE THIS WEEKEND AND
EARLY NEXT WEEK WILL ALLOW WIND CHILL VALUES TO PLUMMET INTO THE 30S
AND 40S BELOW ZERO.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY EVENING)
ISSUED AT 527 PM CST WED JAN 22 2014

VFR AT ALL SITES BUT HYR WHERE MVFR CIGS/VSBYS WILL PREVAIL UNTIL
04Z. GUSTY SFC WINDS WILL DIMINISH BY 04Z AS BOUNDARY LAYER
DECOUPLES. BLSN WILL ALSO SUBSIDE WITH THE LOSS OF WIND GUSTS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DLH -21  -3  -6  27 /  10   0  70  60
INL -29  -1  -5  25 /  10   0  70  60
BRD -22  -1  -7  31 /   0   0  40  60
HYR -21  -1 -10  28 /  40   0  60  70
ASX -15  -2  -8  27 /  90  10  60  60

&&

.DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL NOON CST THURSDAY FOR MNZ010>012-
     018>021-025-026-033>038.

     WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR MNZ010>012-
     018>021-025-026-033>037.

WI...WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL NOON CST THURSDAY FOR WIZ001-006-007.

     WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST THURSDAY FOR WIZ002>004-008-
     009.

     LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST THURSDAY FOR WIZ002>004.

LS...NONE.
&&

SYNOPSIS...CANNON
SHORT TERM...CANNON
LONG TERM...BJT
AVIATION...GSF

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 22, 3:51 PM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
351 PM CST WED JAN 22 2014

MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-006>009-231130-
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-
351 PM CST WED JAN 22 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST MINNESOTA AND
NORTHWEST WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

LAKE EFFECT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE OF
WISCONSIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH ACCUMULATIONS HAVE BEEN MINIMAL...
SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THIS EVENING.
A LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH SHORE
AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING MAY EVENTUALLY
BE REQUIRED IF SNOW SQUALLS BECOME MORE INTENSE.

GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CREATE DANGEROUS WIND CHILL
READINGS OVERNIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER
MESSAGE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY AND
WIND CHILL WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

VERY COLD AIR AND GUSTY WINDS AT TIMES WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF
DANGEROUS WIND CHILL READINGS THURSDAY...FRIDAY NIGHT...AND LATE
IN THE WEEKEND. WIND CHILL ADVISORIES OR WARNINGS MAY BE REQUIRED.
PLEASE CHECK THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION REGARDING ANY ADVISORIES OR WARNINGS.

SEVERAL PERIODS OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE
FIRST FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BRING LIGHT SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY.
ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW IS POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY.

ANOTHER LAKE EFFECT SNOW EVENT IS POSSIBLE SUNDAY AND MONDAY...MAINLY
EAST OF THE BAYFIELD PENINSULA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SNOWFALL OBSERVERS...ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHWEST WISCONSIN ARE
REQUESTED TO CALL THEIR REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

CANNON

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESS:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DULUTH (ALL LOWER CASE)

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 22, 1:33 PM CST, 4 hours 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
133 PM CST WED JAN 22 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0130 PM     SNOW             ASHLAND                 46.58N 90.87W
01/22/2014  M1.2 INCH        ASHLAND            WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SNOWFALL SINCE 8 AM THIS MORNING.

&&

KK

Local storm report, Jan 22, 1:40 PM CST, 4 hours 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
140 PM CST WED JAN 22 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0139 PM     SNOW             LA POINTE               46.78N 90.79W
01/22/2014  E0.5 INCH        ASHLAND            WI   CO-OP OBSERVER

            SNOWFALL FROM TODAY.

&&

KK

Local storm report, Jan 22, 1:45 PM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
145 PM CST WED JAN 22 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0144 PM     SNOW             1 NW HURLEY             46.45N 90.21W
01/22/2014  M2.0 INCH        IRON               WI   CO-OP OBSERVER

            ESTIMATED SNOWFALL SINCE 10 AM THIS MORNING. LIGHT SNOW
            AT THE TIME OF REPORT.

&&

KK

Local storm report, Jan 22, 1:50 PM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
150 PM CST WED JAN 22 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0144 PM     SNOW             MONTREAL                46.43N 90.24W
01/22/2014  E1.0 INCH        IRON               WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SNOWFALL SINCE EARLY THIS MORNING.

&&

KK

Local storm report, Jan 22, 3:25 PM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
325 PM CST WED JAN 22 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0324 PM     SNOW             HERTEL                  45.81N 92.18W
01/22/2014  M1.5 INCH        BURNETT            WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SNOWFALL SINCE LAST NIGHT.

&&

BTENTING

Local storm report, Jan 22, 5:38 PM CST, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
538 PM CST WED JAN 22 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0400 PM     SNOW             GILE                    46.43N 90.23W
01/22/2014  M3.5 INCH        IRON               WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            1.5 INCHES SINCE 1020AM. WHITE OUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES

0415 PM     SNOW             5 SW AMNICON FALLS STAT 46.57N 91.96W
01/22/2014  M1.0 INCH        DOUGLAS            WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

0415 PM     SNOW             POPLAR                  46.58N 91.79W
01/22/2014  E1.5 INCH        DOUGLAS            WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

0530 PM     SNOW             2 WNW SAXON             46.50N 90.45W
01/22/2014  M2.0 INCH        IRON               WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            BLOWING SNOW MAKING TRAVEL DIFFICULT AND VISIBILITY POOR.

&&

SGOHDE

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Central St. Louis

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Central St. Louis forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 47.590, -92.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Crow Wing

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Crow Wing forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 46.482, -94.071 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Koochiching

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Koochiching forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 48.245, -93.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Aitkin

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Northern Aitkin forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 46.608, -93.415 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Cass

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Northern Cass forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 46.950, -94.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Cook / Northern Lake

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Northern Cook / Northern Lake forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 47.670, -90.975 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Itasca

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Northern Itasca forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 47.510, -93.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern St. Louis

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Northern St. Louis forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 47.590, -92.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Pine

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Pine forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 46.121, -92.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Aitkin

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Southern Aitkin forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 46.608, -93.415 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Cass

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Southern Cass forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 46.950, -94.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Cook

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Southern Cook forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 47.817, -90.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Itasca

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Southern Itasca forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 47.510, -93.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Lake

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Southern Lake forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 47.557, -91.935 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern St. Louis / Carlton

When: January 22, 6:00 PM CST to January 23, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Southern St. Louis / Carlton forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 47.091, -92.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill: Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, January 2014

Sources

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: 512477, 512478, 512479, 512480, 512481, 512482, 512483, 512484, 512485, 512486, 512487, 512488, 512489, 512490, 512491.