Extreme Cold in Minnesota, February 24 to 25, 2019

Name: Extreme Cold in Minnesota, February 24 to 25, 2019
Start: 2019-02-24T19:00
End: 2019-02-25T12:00
Location: Minnesota

February 24 to 25, 2019 · NWS FGF · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

Northwest winds at 5 to 15 mph combined with temperatures as cold as 20 below to 30 below zero to cause wind chills of 40 below to 45 below zero.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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: 11

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 FGF wrote it up.

Northwest winds at 5 to 15 mph combined with temperatures as cold as 20 below to 30 below zero to cause wind chills of 40 below to 45 below zero.

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 Grand Forks, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 24, 6:52 PM CST, 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 6:52 PM CST, 8 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 24, 3:44 AM CST, 15 hours 16 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
344 AM CST Sun Feb 24 2019

MNZ001>005-007-008-013>015-022-027>031-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-250945-
West Polk-Norman-Clay-Kittson-Roseau-West Marshall-East Marshall-
Pennington-Red Lake-East Polk-Mahnomen-West Becker-East Becker-
Wilkin-West Otter Tail-East Otter Tail-Grant-Towner-Cavalier-
Pembina-Benson-Ramsey-Eastern Walsh County-Eddy-Nelson-
Grand Forks-Griggs-Steele-Traill-Barnes-Cass-Ransom-Sargent-
Richland-Western Walsh County-
344 AM CST Sun Feb 24 2019

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of eastern North
Dakota, west central and northwest Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Ground blizzard conditions are expected today with northwest
winds gusting up to 50 mph. This will create whiteout conditions,
especially in open country. Less than an inch of new snow is
expected. Conditions will gradually improve this evening. Wind
chills of 25 below to 45 below zero will also spread in today into
tonight.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday

Wind chills of 25 below to 45 below zero will continue into Monday
morning. Wind chills may also dip to 25 below to 35 below zero at
times Monday night through Wednesday night. Another weak system
will move through Tuesday into Tuesday evening, mainly south of
the highway 2 corridor. Then another system looms for Thursday
night into Friday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Snowfall and visibility reports would be appreciated.

MNZ006-009-016-017-023-024-032-250945-
Lake Of The Woods-North Beltrami-North Clearwater-South Beltrami-
South Clearwater-Hubbard-Wadena-
344 AM CST Sun Feb 24 2019

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of west central
and northwest Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Blowing snow and reduced visibilities are expected today with
northwest winds gusting up to 40 mph. Near blizzard conditions
are possible in open areas. Less than an inch of new snow is
expected. Conditions will gradually improve this evening.
Wind chills of 25 below to 45 below zero will also spread in
today into tonight.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday

Wind chills of 25 below to 45 below zero will continue into Monday
morning. Wind chills may also dip to 25 below to 35 below zero at
times Monday night through Wednesday night. Another weak system
will move through Tuesday into Tuesday evening, mainly south of
the highway 2 corridor. Then another system looms for Thursday
night into Friday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Snowfall and visibility reports would be appreciated.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Kittson

When: February 24, 7:00 PM CST to February 25, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Kittson forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Roseau

When: February 24, 7:00 PM CST to February 25, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Roseau forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.775, -95.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Lake of the Woods

When: February 24, 7:00 PM CST to February 25, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Lake of the Woods forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.771, -94.905 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, East Marshall

When: February 24, 7:00 PM CST to February 25, 12:00 PM CST
Where: East Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, West Marshall

When: February 24, 7:00 PM CST to February 25, 12:00 PM CST
Where: West Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, North Beltrami

When: February 24, 7:00 PM CST to February 25, 12:00 PM CST
Where: North Beltrami forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.974, -94.938 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, West Polk

When: February 24, 7:00 PM CST to February 25, 12:00 PM CST
Where: West Polk forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, East Polk

When: February 24, 7:00 PM CST to February 25, 12:00 PM CST
Where: East Polk forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, North Clearwater

When: February 24, 7:00 PM CST to February 25, 12:00 PM CST
Where: North Clearwater forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.578, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Pennington

When: February 24, 7:00 PM CST to February 25, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Pennington forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.066, -96.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Red Lake

When: February 24, 7:00 PM CST to February 25, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Red Lake forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.872, -96.095 (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 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, February 2019

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: 799558, 799559, 799560, 799561, 799562, 799563, 799564, 799565, 799566, 799567, 799568.