Minnesota, 2020

Extreme Cold in Minnesota, February 12 to 13, 2020

February 12 to 13, 2020 · NWS DLH · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

Fresh snowfall on the 12th of February followed by an influx of very cold air and building high pressure led to a very cold morning of the 13th. Enough of a gradient remained to create light winds overnight resulting in wind chills of 40 to 50 degrees below zero over much of northeastern Minnesota.

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

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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 DLH wrote it up.

Fresh snowfall on the 12th of February followed by an influx of very cold air and building high pressure led to a very cold morning of the 13th. Enough of a gradient remained to create light winds overnight resulting in wind chills of 40 to 50 degrees below zero over much of northeastern Minnesota.

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, Northern Cook / Northern Lake

When
February 12, 10:00 PM CST to February 13, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Northern Cook / Northern Lake forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
47.670, -90.975 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Cook

When
February 12, 10:00 PM CST to February 13, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Southern Cook forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
47.817, -90.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Central St. Louis

When
February 13, 1:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where
Central St. Louis forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
47.590, -92.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Koochiching

When
February 13, 3:00 AM CST to 8:00 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, Southern Cass

When
February 13, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where
Southern Cass forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
46.950, -94.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

When
February 13, 3:00 AM CST to 5:00 AM CST
Where
Southern St. Louis / Carlton forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
47.091, -92.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern St. Louis

When
February 13, 4:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where
Northern St. Louis forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
47.590, -92.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Itasca

When
February 13, 4:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where
Northern Itasca forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
47.510, -93.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Itasca

When
February 13, 4:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where
Southern Itasca forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
47.510, -93.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Cass

When
February 13, 6:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where
Northern Cass forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
46.950, -94.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Crow Wing

When
February 13, 7:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where
Crow Wing forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
46.482, -94.071 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 877199, 877202, 877201, 877197, 877205, 877207, 877198, 877200, 877204, 877203, 877206.