A Prolonged But Not Record-Shattering Cold Spell

Temperatures are finally climbing above zero in much of Minnesota following a cold spell that was noteworthy for its duration and lateness in the winter season. While many daily record low temperatures were set across the state, we did not break historical records for all-time lows.

That may be of little consolation to those of us who have shivered over the past ten days or so, but even a couple of -50 degree air temperatures readings near Ely were not unprecedented, according to climatologist Kenny Blumenfeld.

“All it did was confirm for us that this is a winter,” says Blumenfeld, who notes that there are 52 other days on record in Minnesota when the mercury dipped to -50 or below.

Temperatures in the Twin Cities hovered at 0 degrees or below for 116 consecutive hours starting at 4 pm on February 11 and continuing until 11 am on February 16, according to Blumenfeld, which is the longest consecutive run of 0 degrees or below since 1994.

What’s even more noteworthy in Blumenfeld’s view is the approximately 225 total non-consecutive hours of 0 degrees or below in the Twin Cities so far this month which is the most since February of 1936 which logged 403 total hours.

Blumenfeld says we will likely come in at number two on record for the total number hours at or below 0 in the Twin Cities by the end of February.

“The one thing if someone says to you ‘well, this is the coldest it’s ever been,’ say ‘that’s nonsense, it’s not true’ and if they say ‘this is the longest cold streak on record,’ that’s also nonsense,” says Blumenfeld. “But if they say ‘this is one of the most persistent cold patterns that we’ve had in terms of the amount of time below certain temperature thresholds’, then yeah, now we’re getting up there, especially for this late in the season.”

Blumenfeld and co-host Jim du Bois also discuss the polar vortex disruption that’s bringing record low temperatures and snowfall throughout much of the country.