Arctic air began moving across the Upper Midwest on Dec 21-22 following the snow. Winds increased from west to east across the forecast area, creating dangerously cold wind chills of -30 to -48 F.
Every event with a place to put it; 35 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.
Arctic air began moving across the Upper Midwest on Dec 21-22 following the snow. Winds increased from west to east across the forecast area, creating dangerously cold wind chills of -30 to -48 F.
The coldest wind chill temperatures favored Western Minnesota given the physical geography of the land and lack of friction of surrounding structures. Morris Municipal Airport in Stevens County and Benson Municipal Airport in Swift County recorded the lowest observed wind chills at -48 . Glenwood Airport in Pope County recorded -45 as well as St. James Municipal Airport in Watonwan County. The third lowest wind chill (-44 ) was observed at the Olivia Regional Airport in Renville County.
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 Dec 20, 11:07 PM CST, 1 hour 53 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
35 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -43 to -35 observed at KAXN. The strongest winds were recorded at 11:00 AM with a gust at 46 mph.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -48 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 1:15 PM with a gust at 47 mph at the Morris Municipal Airport in Morris, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -48 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 12:35 PM on 12/23 with a gust at 48 mph at the Benson Municipal Airport in Benson, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -44 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 12:35 PM on 12/23 with a gust at 51 mph at Olivia Regional Airport in Olivia, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -42 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 9:15 AM with a gust at 44 mph in Montevideo, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -45 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 10:35 AM with a gust at 45 mph in Glenwood, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -42 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 10:55 AM with a gust at 49 mph in Wiilmar, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -42 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 8:15 AM on 12/23 with a gust at 48 mph at the New Ulm Municipal Airport, New Ulm, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -45 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 10:17 AM on 12/23 with a gust of 54 mph at the St. James Municipal Airport in St. James, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -41 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 2:00 PM on 12/23 with a gust of 53 mph at the Fairmont Municipal Airport in Fairmont, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -42 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 10:15 AM on 12/23 with a gust at 45 mph at Canby Municipal Airport, Canby, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -41 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 10:55 AM with a gust at 36 mph in Sauk Centre, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -44 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 9:57 AM on 12/23 with a gust at 54 mph at Redwood Falls Municipal Airport in Redwood Falls, MN.
Airfield stations in neighboring counties recorded wind-chill temperatures below -42 to -35 for numerous hours. Strongest winds occurred in the late morning at 40-45 mph.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -41 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 9:38 AM on 12/23 with a gust of 46 mph at Mankato Regional Airport in Mankato, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -45 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 10:15 AM on 12/23 with a gust at 45 mph in Lac Qui Parle County Airport in Madison, MN.
AWOS Station located at Maple Lake Municipal Airport observed a wind chill of -35 degrees observed on the morning of 12/23 with wind gusts in the lower 20 mph range. The strongest winds occurred later in the morning reaching 33 mph.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -38 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 4:55 PM on 12/23 with a gust at 39 mph at Hutchinson City Airport in Hutchinson, MN.
Airfield stations in neighboring counties recorded wind-chill temperatures fluctuating between -37 to -35 for numerous hours. Strongest winds occurred in the early afternoon between 40-45 mph.
Airfield AWOS stations in neighboring counties recorded wind-chill temperatures fluctuating between -41 to -35 for numerous hours. Strongest winds occurred in the morning hours between 35-45 mph.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -41 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 2:33 PM with a gust at 31 mph at the Degner Municipal Airport in Owatonna, MN. The ASOS site did not record any data from 12/23 to 12/29.
Wind chill fluctuated from -37 to -30 for numerous hours. The strongest winds were recorded at 11:55 AM on 12/23 with a gust at 35 mph at the Faribault Municipal Airport in Faribault, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -39 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 5:55 PM on 12/23 with a gust at 39 mph in Litchfield, MN.
Waseca AWOS Station recorded many hours of wind chill ranging from -42 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 2:35 PM on 12/23 with a gust at 44 mph near Waseca, MN.
Many hours with wind chill ranging from -39 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 3:35 PM on 12/23 with a gust of 38 mph at the Albert Lea Municipal Airport in Albert Lea, MN.
Airfield ASOS stations in neighboring counties recorded wind-chill temperatures below -35 for numerous hours. Strongest winds occurred in the late morning at 30-35 mph.
One direct fatality was reported on broadcast media. A 34-year-old male was found deceased due to exposure near the northbound ramp of I-35 and County Rd 2 in Elko New Market, MN. The Scott County Sherrif's Office reported that the deceased may have stolen a van and began to flee on foot in the single digit to below-zero temperatures.
ASOS station at the St. Cloud Regional Airport in St. Cloud, MN recorded fluctuating wind-chill temperatures between -37 for numerous hours. Strongest winds occurred at 5:57 PM on 12/23 with a gust of 42 mph.
Airfield stations in neighboring counties recorded wind-chill temperatures fluctuating between -37 to -35 for multiple hours. Strongest winds occurred in the afternoon hours between 30-40 mph.
Many hours with wind chill between -34 to -30 degrees observed at the South St. Paul Municipal Airport.
Many hours with wind chill between -34 to -30 degrees observed at the St. Paul Downtown Airport.
Many hours with wind chill colder than -35 degrees observed. The strongest wind gusts occurred on 12/23 at 10:35 AM at 32 mph at the Lake Elmo Airport in Lake Elmo, MN. A 20 year old man died of cold weather exposure after leaving the bar on foot in Stillwater MN.
AWOS station at the Morrison County Airport in Little Falls, MN recorded fluctuating wind-chill temperatures below -35 for 3 hours. Strongest winds occurred in the early afternoon between 30-35 mph.
Observations in Glencoe, MN and at Minneapolis Flying Cloud Airport recorded wind chill temperatures at -35 between 5 AM - 8 AM on 12/23. Strongest wind gust was 38 mph at 7:00 PM.
KMSP airport observed three hours of wind chill ranging from -37 to -35 . The strongest winds were recorded at 11:35 PM on 12/23 with a gust at 45 mph.
AWOS Station at Anoka County Blaine Airport observed a wind chill of -35 degrees observed on the morning of 12/23 with wind gusts in the lower 20 mph range. The strongest winds occurred later in the morning reaching 38 mph.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Scott | 2022-12-23 | 34 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Washington | 2022-12-23 | 20 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, December 2022
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1064361, 1064363, 1064364, 1064372, 1064368, 1064362, 1064369, 1064381, 1064383, 1064384, 1064367, 1064365, 1064378, 1064380, 1064382, 1064366, 1064371, 1064373, 1064385, 1064390, 1064392, 1064389, 1064370, 1064388, 1064386, 1064379, 1068084, 1068085, 1064387, 1064391, 1064377, 1068083, 1064374, 1064375, 1064376.