An arctic air mass moved southward across the Upper Midwest during the weekend of February 21st and 22nd. This air mass dropped actual temperatures into the teens below zero.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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 MPX wrote it up.
An arctic air mass moved southward across the Upper Midwest during the weekend of February 21st and 22nd. This air mass dropped actual temperatures into the teens below zero. As these temperatures combined with gusty northwest winds of 10 to 20 mph, wind chill values dropped below -35F for several hours. Some wind chill values reached near -45F around Alexandria, Glenwood, and Morris just after sunrise.
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 Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 21, 10:59 PM CST, 3 hours 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1059 PM CST SAT FEB 21 2015
.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY)
ISSUED AT 230 PM CST SAT FEB 21 2015
CURRENT FORECAST ON TRACK FOR DANGEROUS WIND CHILL VALUES
DEVELOPING OVERNIGHT...AND CONTINUING THRU SUNDAY MORNING. THE
COLDEST WIND CHILLS WILL OCCUR TOWARD SUNRISE...AND A FEW HRS
AFTER SUNRISE AS BOTH TEMPS WILL BE THE COLDEST AND WIND SPEEDS
WILL INCREASE. OTHERWISE...VERY FEW CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED AS VERY
DRY AIR CONTINUES TO FILTER SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST.
.LONG TERM...(SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY)
ISSUED AT 230 PM CST SAT FEB 21 2015
ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL CROSS THE REGION SUN NIGHT INTO
MON...MAINTAINING FRIGID TEMPS FOR ANOTHER NIGHT. LOWS SUN NIGHT
WILL DROP TO -10 TO -20 DEG F...SO WIND CHILLS WILL AGAIN DROP TO
-25 TO -35 DEG F BY MON MRNG.
AN AREA OF LOW PRES LOOKS TO DROP SEWD FROM CENTRAL CANADA INTO
THE GREAT LAKES MON NIGHT INTO TUE...POSSIBLY BRINGING SOME ISOLD
-SHSN INTO WRN WI. OTHERWISE...THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE MPX CWFA
WILL REMAIN DRY. A WARMING TREND WILL COMMENCE MON-TUE AHEAD OF A
CDFNT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW PRES AREA...BRINGING HIGHS CLOSE TO
20 FOR MON-TUE...FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER ARCTIC HIGH PRES AIRMASS FOR
WED-THU THAT WILL AGAIN BRING HIGHS DOWN INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS
AND LOWER TEENS. STILL DRY CONDS EXPECTED THROUGH MIDWEEK.
THE HIGH PRES AIRMASS WILL EXIT THE REGION FRI...WHILE UPR LVL
FLOW BECOMES MORE ZONAL RATHER THAN SOLID NW TO ALLOW FOR THE
SURGES OF COLD AIR. THE CONCERN FOR THE END OF THE WEEK INTO THE
WEEKEND IS A POTENTIAL STORM SYSTEM MOVING UP INTO THE UPR MISS
RIVER VALLEY REGION FROM THE SW CONUS. HAVE INCLUDED SOME SLGT CHC
POPS FOR SAT BUT CONFIDENCE IS QUITE LOW THAT FAR OUT.
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 1058 PM CST SAT FEB 21 2015
A VERY SIMPLE TAF PERIOD AHEAD WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE. VFR WITH
NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10-15 KT.
KMSP...NO ADDITIONAL CONCERNS.
/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
SUN...VFR. WINDS NW 10-15KT.
MON...VFR. WINDS SW AT 15-20KT GUSTS 25 KTS.
TUE...VFR. WINDS NW AT 15-20KT GUSTS 30 KTS.
&&
.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TO NOON CST SUNDAY FOR MNZ045-
051>053-059>063-065>070-073>078-082>085-091>093.
WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL NOON CST SUNDAY FOR MNZ041>044-047>050-
055>058.
WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST SUNDAY FOR MNZ054-064.
WI...WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TO NOON CST SUNDAY FOR WIZ014>016-
023>028.
&&
SHORT TERM...JLT
LONG TERM...JPC
AVIATION...BORGHOFFHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 511 PM CST SAT FEB 21 2015 MNZ045-051>054-059>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 222315- KANABEC-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-LAC QUI PARLE-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN- ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY- CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE- WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-POLK- BARRON-RUSK-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-CHIPPEWA-EAU CLAIRE- 511 PM CST SAT FEB 21 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA... AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT FRIGID WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT WITH VALUES BETWEEN 25 AND 35 BELOW ZERO DEVELOPING AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEE THE LATEST WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR MORE INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WIND CHILLS OF 20 TO 30 BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. MNZ041>044-047>050-055>058-222315- DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-BENTON- SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-MEEKER- 511 PM CST SAT FEB 21 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT FRIGID WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT WITH VALUES BETWEEN 30 AND 45 BELOW ZERO EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEE THE LATEST WIND CHILL WARNING FOR MORE INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WIND CHILLS OF 20 TO 35 BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. BORGHOFF
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Several local public and private weather stations indicated temperatures dropped to around -20F before sunrise. As winds remained around 10-15 mph, wind chill values dropped below -40F for several hours during the morning.
Several local public and private weather stations indicated temperatures dropped to around -20F before sunrise. As winds remained around 10-15 mph, wind chill values dropped below -40F for several hours during the morning.
Several local public and private weather stations indicated temperatures dropped to around -20F before sunrise. As winds remained around 10-15 mph, wind chill values dropped below -40F for several hours during the morning.
Several local public and private weather stations indicated temperatures dropped to around -20F before sunrise. As winds remained around 10-15 mph, wind chill values dropped below -40F for several hours during the morning.
Several local public and private weather stations indicated temperatures dropped to around -20F before sunrise. As winds remained around 10-15 mph, wind chill values dropped below -40F for several hours during the morning.
Several local public and private weather stations indicated temperatures dropped to around -20F before sunrise. As winds remained around 10-15 mph, wind chill values dropped below -40F for several hours during the morning.
Several local public and private weather stations indicated temperatures dropped to around -15F before sunrise. As winds remained around 10-15 mph, wind chill values dropped below -35F for several hours during the morning.
Several local public and private weather stations indicated temperatures dropped to around -15F before sunrise. As winds remained around 10-15 mph, wind chill values dropped below -35F for several hours during the morning.
Several local public and private weather stations indicated temperatures dropped to around -15F before sunrise. As winds remained around 10-15 mph, wind chill values dropped below -35F for several hours during the morning.
Several local public and private weather stations indicated temperatures dropped to around -15F before sunrise. As winds remained around 10-15 mph, wind chill values dropped below -35F for several hours during the morning.
Several local public and private weather stations indicated temperatures dropped to around -15F before sunrise. As winds remained around 10-15 mph, wind chill values dropped below -35F for several hours during the morning.
Several local public and private weather stations indicated temperatures dropped to around -15F before sunrise. As winds remained around 10-15 mph, wind chill values dropped below -35F for several hours during the morning.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, February 2015
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: 552923, 552914, 552921, 552917, 552918, 552922, 552912, 552919, 552913, 552916, 552920, 552915.