Minnesota, 2018

Extreme Cold in Minnesota, January 3 to 5, 2018

January 3 to 5, 2018 · NWS DLH · 9 events in 7 counties and zones

Continuing on the cold temperatures felt in late December, early January across the Northland had overnight temperatures dropping into the 20s and 30s below zero with wind chills in the 30 to 40 below zero range. Daytime highs barely made it above zero for many areas.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
9

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.

Continuing on the cold temperatures felt in late December, early January across the Northland had overnight temperatures dropping into the 20s and 30s below zero with wind chills in the 30 to 40 below zero range. Daytime highs barely made it above zero for many areas. The coldest mornings were on the 4th and 5th. On the 4th, the Minnesota Arrowhead had widespread wind chills in the -40s. On the 5th, the -40 to -45 wind chills were widespread north of U.S. Highway 2.

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 3, 5:57 PM CST, 4 hours 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 3, 5:57 PM CST, 4 hours 58 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 3, 2:31 PM CST, 8 hours 24 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Cook

When
January 3, 10:55 PM CST to January 4, 9:55 AM CST
Where
Southern Cook forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
47.817, -90.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Grand Marais Airport measured a peak wind chill value of -41.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Central St. Louis

When
January 4, 2:53 AM CST to 5:53 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)

A -40 windchill was measured at the Chisholm-Hibbing Airport. The local COOP in Embarrass measured a morning low and current observation temp of 44 below at 6 AM.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Lake

When
January 4, 6:52 AM CST to 7:16 AM CST
Where
Southern Lake forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
47.557, -91.935 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The site at Silver Bay measured a wind chill of minus 40.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Koochiching

When
January 4, 7:53 PM CST to January 5, 7:55 AM CST
Where
Koochiching forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
48.245, -93.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Site at International Falls reported a wind chill of -41.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Cass

When
January 5, 12:35 AM CST to 9:35 AM CST
Where
Northern Cass forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
46.950, -94.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Walker airport had a peak wind chill of 45 below.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Cook / Northern Lake

When
January 5, 1:13 AM CST to 9:13 AM CST
Where
Northern Cook / Northern Lake forecast zone
Reported by
RAWS
Coordinates
47.670, -90.975 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Site in Fernberg reported a wind chill of -41.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Cook

When
January 5, 2:44 AM CST to 10:15 AM CST
Where
Southern Cook forecast zone
Reported by
RAWS
Coordinates
47.817, -90.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Site four miles west of Grand Portage had measured wind chill of 41 below. The Grand Marais Airport AWOS site measured a 51 below wind chill at 5:55 AM.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Central St. Louis

When
January 5, 3:53 AM CST to 8:53 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)

Chishom-Hibbing Airport measured a -43 wind chill. COOP observer in Embarrass had an observation temperature of 42 below at 6 AM.

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

When
January 5, 4:55 AM CST to 9:55 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)

The Duluth International Airport measured a peak wind chill of 42 below.

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

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, January 2018

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: 731187, 731182, 731185, 731196, 731200, 731197, 731199, 731198, 731201.