Minnesota, 2020

Extreme Cold in Minnesota, February 12 to 13, 2020

February 12 to 13, 2020 · NWS ABR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

After a morning blizzard, extreme wind chills occurred across west central Minnesota through the rest of the 12th to the mid morning hours of the 13th. Extreme wind chills ranged from 35 to 45 degrees below zero.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
2

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 ABR wrote it up.

After a morning blizzard, extreme wind chills occurred across west central Minnesota through the rest of the 12th to the mid morning hours of the 13th. Extreme wind chills ranged from 35 to 45 degrees below zero. The extreme wind chills along with the blizzard resulted in school closings on the 12th and late starts on the 13th.

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 Aberdeen, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 12, 11:29 AM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 12, 11:29 AM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 12, 4:22 AM CST, 9 hours 38 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Aberdeen SD
422 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2020

SDZ004>006-009-010-016-017-034-036-037-051-131030-
Campbell-McPherson-Brown-Walworth-Edmunds-Potter-Faulk-Sully-Hyde-
Hand-Buffalo-
422 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central South Dakota, north
central South Dakota and northeast South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

An Arctic front will bring up to 2 inches of snow today along with
bitterly cold air and strong winds. Gusts up to 45 mph will cause
blowing snow and reduced visibilities this morning. Wind chills will
fall to as low as -40F this afternoon and through the night.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

MNZ039-046-SDZ007-008-011-018>023-131030-
Traverse-Big Stone-Marshall-Roberts-Day-Spink-Clark-Codington-Grant-
Hamlin-Deuel-
422 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for west central Minnesota and
northeast South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

An Arctic front will bring up to an inch of snow today along with
bitterly cold air and strong winds. Gusts up to 50 mph will cause
blowing snow and reduced visibilities to less than a quarter mile
this morning. Wind chills will fall to as low as -50F this afternoon
and through the night.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

SDZ033-045-131030-
Stanley-Jones-
422 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2020 /322 AM MST Wed Feb 12 2020/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

SDZ003-015-035-048-131030-
Corson-Dewey-Hughes-Lyman-
422 AM CST Wed Feb 12 2020 /322 AM MST Wed Feb 12 2020/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central South Dakota and
north central South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

An Arctic front will move through the region today. Wind chills will
fall to around -25F this evening.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 12, 1:32 PM CST, 28 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 12, 1:40 PM CST, 20 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 12, 1:43 PM CST, 17 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 12, 1:47 PM CST, 13 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 12, 1:52 PM CST, 8 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 12, 1:55 PM CST, 5 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

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

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Traverse

When
February 12, 2:00 PM CST to February 13, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Traverse forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
45.772, -96.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Big Stone

When
February 12, 3:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Big Stone forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
45.426, -96.411 (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

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, February 2020

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 876385, 876384.