No worries, ArchDuke. Considering -- per some quick internet research to validate -- that the coldest ever recorded day in history in Minnesota was -67 with wind chill in 1936, and that it has only been recorded to get below -60 wind chill an extremely small number of times in history, I sincerely doubt there were many -60 wind chill days for you to experience. At minimum, I suspect hyperbole -- the same way that everyone talks up weather phenomenon.
No doubt, it can get cold here. But that is intermittent, and not a consistent thing every winter, and there is a LOT less snow. I've lived here for 16 years, and the coldest winter was in 2014 [which was a universal thing in the US that year]. The coldest temperature that winter was -20, with a -36 wind chill--it was brutal, there is no positive spin to put on that--but it sure wasn't -60 wind chill.
Your example is like pointing to the rare occasions where Syracuse gets bombarded with >20 inches of snow in a 24 hour span, and pretending that is the norm because it happens extremely occasionally. I LOVE Syracuse, I'm not trying to defend Minnesota -- but when the poster above proclaims that it snows here in October, sorry that's just not true [even though I'm sure it has happened, just like it's happened in CNY]. I take a similar grain of salt when you describe all of those -60 wind chill days -- could it have happened? Possibly, but I'm guessing it is hyperbole.
With a grain of salt, as you should. I didn’t measure the temp when I was there the first 6 years of the 2000’s. But I remember a week they were calling for -60 windchill. I also recall several days through that blast where it felt like what I’d imagine -60 to feel like, especially as a college kid with little money to spend on nice warm clothes. I know there seemed to be about 2 weeks each January or February where windchill hit a ridiculous number. Don’t know exact numbers but I can definitely attest to a difference in overall cold vs cny during those 6 years.
The snow is different. We had very little while I lived there. Maybe an average of 25 to 30 inches (without searching historic data). Completely different than NY.
But this is directly from the state dnr site.
On the same date that the Minnesota state record minimum temperature record was set on February 2, 1996 (-60 near Tower) Governor Arne Carlson cancelled schools for cold a second time. In the Twin Cities at 6am February 2, 1996 the air temperature was -30 degrees with a wind chill temperature of -48 degrees (based on the 2001 formula).
Governor Carlson cancelled schools for a third time on January 16, 1997. Wind Chill Temperatures were -32 degrees in the Twin Cities.
The first wind chill warning that was issued for the Twin Cities under the new wind chill temperature formula established in 2001 was the arctic outbreak of January 29-30, 2004. The coldest windchill observed in the Twin Cities during that period was -43 degrees at 8am on January 30, 2004.
In the wake of a winter storm on February 17, 2006, strong high pressure moved in behind it and created strong winds and dangerous windchills. The coldest windchill seen at the Twin Cities International Airport was -34 degrees . The coldest windchill found statewide was -54 degrees at Thief River Falls.
Governor Mark Dayton cancelled K-12 public schools statewide on Monday January 6th, 2014 due to extreme windchills that were forecasted well in advance. The coldest wind chill temperature in Minnesota on January 6th was -63 degrees at Grand Marais Airport at 9am with a -31 degree air temperature and a 21mph wind. The coldest wind chill temperature in the Twin Cities was -48 degrees at 5am with an air temperature of -22 degrees and a 15mph wind. Many schools also cancelled classes January 7th as well. The wind chill at 4am January 7th was -28 at the Twin Cities International Airport with an air temperature of -14 and a wind of 6mph. Statewide the coldest wind chill was -50 reported at Duluth at 4am with an air temperature of -23 and a west wind of 16mph.
Schools were cancelled at many locations again on Thursday, January 23. The coldest wind chill in the Twin Cities on January 23 was at 2am with a windchill of -37 degrees with an air temperature of -14 and a NW wind of 15mph. The coldest statewide wind chill was -51 at Park Rapids at 6am with an air temperature of -33 and as wind of 6mph.
Schools were cancelled for a fourth day across the Twin Cities on January 27 as well. Classes were also cancelled for the day for the University of Minnesota. The coldest wind chill in the Twin Cities was -39 at 4am (-13F air temp and wind NW 20mph) The coldest wind chill statewide was -53 degrees at the Grand Marais Airport at 8am (-26F air temp, wind NE 16mph.)
Schools were cancelled once more across the Twin Cities on Tuesday January 28th. University of Minnesota classes were cancelled in the morning. The coldest wind chill in the Twin Cities was -29 at 9am with an air temperature of -12 and a wind speed of 8mph. The coldest wind chill in the state was -52 degrees at Fosston at 7am with air temperature of -33 degrees and a wind speed of 7mph from the south.
Recap of January 2014 month of cold wind chills.
(brackets are air temperature in and wind speed)
Date Lowest Wind Chill Lowest Wind Chill
Twin Cities Statewide and location
----------------------------------------------------------
Jan 6 -48 (-22F/15mph) -63 (-31F/21mph) Grand Marais Airport
Jan 7 -28 (-14F/6mph) -50 (-23F/16mph) Duluth
Jan 23 -37 (-14F/15mph) -51 (-33F/6mph) Park Rapids
Jan 27 -39 (-13F/20mph) -53 (-26F/16mph) Grand Marais Airport
Jan 28 -29 (-12F/8mph) -52 (-33F/7mph) Fosston
As far as objective facts. I’ll include the coldest days for Minneapolis and Syracuse.
Again, not trying to call you or anyone out here, not my personality. But for the time I lived there, it was far colder and more often, than CNY.