Brrr! Steady subzero temperatures leave several states frozen
By
Mark Puleo, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Dec 11, 2019 10:04 PM EDT
The world's largest contiguous skyway system in Minneapolis, Minnesota, makes it possible to escape subzero weather in the winter or hot and humid weather in the summer.
A blasting freeze this week has left many regions of the Upper Midwest frozen in place. In areas across states such as North Dakota and Minnesota, subzero temperatures have dotted the map and for some, the mercury has been frozen below zero for a few days amid a brutal cold snap that AccuWeather forecasters began warning readers and TV viewers about days ago.
In Minnesota, temperatures in Chanhassen fell all the way down to minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit, 18 degrees colder than the average low temperature on Monday, Dec. 9. On Wednesday morning, conditions only got colder, as a reading of minus 5 F was recorded at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport at 6:53 a.m., local time. The airport also experienced an AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature below 0F for 48 consecutive hours, starting at 10 a.m. CST Monday and ending just after 10 a.m. CST Wednesday.
Christmas wreaths laden with freshly fallen snow are displayed for sale at Boston Hill Farm, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, in North Andover, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Factoring in a steady, bone-chilling breeze over the last few days has only made conditions worse. According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio, AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures plunged below minus 30 degrees for some locations in the Midwest by midweek. Fargo, North Dakota, bottomed out at minus 33 on Wednesday morning, while the RealFeel Temperature in St. Cloud, Minnesota, was dragged down to minus 30.
The punishing cold, which has come alongside an Alberta clipper in the region, has impacted communities like Duluth, Minnesota, to the point of communities opening warming centers for shelter. According to local news outlet Fox 21, nine residents stayed overnight at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church on Monday night.
"We’re here to work with our neighbors here in this neighborhood," church council member Char Matheson said. "Helping to build up our neighbors, bring them in from the cold so to speak.”
Christmas trees laden with freshly fallen snow are displayed for sale at Boston Hill Farm, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, in North Andover, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
The low in Duluth reached all the way down to minus 14 on Wednesday morning. Fosston, Minnesota, plunged even lower on Wednesday morning, hitting minus 24 degrees.
Meanwhile, AccuWeather reporter Jonathan Petramala broadcasts from one area in Minneapolis where pedestrians can experience temperatures of 70 degrees year-round, despite extreme weather outside. His journey to catch an airplane, however, was a bit colder.
Icicles cover Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday afternoon. (Twitter/Saar Hodne)
The recent snow and frigid weather has left Minneapolis looking like a winter wonderland. Saar Hodne captured a photo showing Minnehaha Falls almost completely frozen over as a result of the cold snap.
Hodne, a 45-year-old supply chain worker at a Minneapolis hospital, told AccuWeather, "I grew up in Minnesota and still don't like this extreme cold." But, she added, "It is fun to see Minnehaha Falls freeze over in the winter."
Hodne, who also captured video of the icy spectacle, said nature photography is her favorite hobby and that she stays warm when she's out in the elements by wearing "lots of layers." Her ensemble includes "two pairs of socks, [a] hat, scarf, T-shirt, sweatshirt, and a jacket." Despite the layering, she said this particular Arctic blast "is too cold."
Elsewhere in the Midwest, North Dakota saw temperatures of minus 14 in Bismarck and minus 17 in Fargo while the NWS office in Grand Forks reported a wind chill of minus 42 in McHenry.
"Dress warm in layers and limit exposed skin this morning," the NWS office advised on Twitter. "Even by our standards, this is very cold for December."
Meteorologists in Grand Forks also shared an animated satellite image that depicted how cold the surface of the Earth was across Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
Although the frigid air lost some of its sting as it moved into the East, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski, the cold was accompanied by steady-falling snow in areas such as northern New York and central Massachusetts.
Around Buffalo, New York, heavy lake-effect snow blanketed areas across Niagara County as bitter cold moved across the relatively mild waters of Lake Erie.
In Massachusetts, snow totals reached 6 inches in areas around Worcester County and Brimfield.
Even areas closer to the coast woke up to a wintry scene on Wednesday morning. AccuWeather reporter Dexter Henry captured a wintry mix falling as New Yorkers were greeted by plummeting temperatures for the start of Hump Day.
Report a Typo
News / Winter Weather
Brrr! Steady subzero temperatures leave several states frozen
By Mark Puleo, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Dec 11, 2019 10:04 PM EDT
The world's largest contiguous skyway system in Minneapolis, Minnesota, makes it possible to escape subzero weather in the winter or hot and humid weather in the summer.
A blasting freeze this week has left many regions of the Upper Midwest frozen in place. In areas across states such as North Dakota and Minnesota, subzero temperatures have dotted the map and for some, the mercury has been frozen below zero for a few days amid a brutal cold snap that AccuWeather forecasters began warning readers and TV viewers about days ago.
In Minnesota, temperatures in Chanhassen fell all the way down to minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit, 18 degrees colder than the average low temperature on Monday, Dec. 9. On Wednesday morning, conditions only got colder, as a reading of minus 5 F was recorded at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport at 6:53 a.m., local time. The airport also experienced an AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature below 0F for 48 consecutive hours, starting at 10 a.m. CST Monday and ending just after 10 a.m. CST Wednesday.
Christmas wreaths laden with freshly fallen snow are displayed for sale at Boston Hill Farm, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, in North Andover, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Factoring in a steady, bone-chilling breeze over the last few days has only made conditions worse. According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio, AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures plunged below minus 30 degrees for some locations in the Midwest by midweek. Fargo, North Dakota, bottomed out at minus 33 on Wednesday morning, while the RealFeel Temperature in St. Cloud, Minnesota, was dragged down to minus 30.
The punishing cold, which has come alongside an Alberta clipper in the region, has impacted communities like Duluth, Minnesota, to the point of communities opening warming centers for shelter. According to local news outlet Fox 21, nine residents stayed overnight at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church on Monday night.
"We’re here to work with our neighbors here in this neighborhood," church council member Char Matheson said. "Helping to build up our neighbors, bring them in from the cold so to speak.”
Christmas trees laden with freshly fallen snow are displayed for sale at Boston Hill Farm, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, in North Andover, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
The low in Duluth reached all the way down to minus 14 on Wednesday morning. Fosston, Minnesota, plunged even lower on Wednesday morning, hitting minus 24 degrees.
Meanwhile, AccuWeather reporter Jonathan Petramala broadcasts from one area in Minneapolis where pedestrians can experience temperatures of 70 degrees year-round, despite extreme weather outside. His journey to catch an airplane, however, was a bit colder.
Icicles cover Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday afternoon. (Twitter/Saar Hodne)
The recent snow and frigid weather has left Minneapolis looking like a winter wonderland. Saar Hodne captured a photo showing Minnehaha Falls almost completely frozen over as a result of the cold snap.
Hodne, a 45-year-old supply chain worker at a Minneapolis hospital, told AccuWeather, "I grew up in Minnesota and still don't like this extreme cold." But, she added, "It is fun to see Minnehaha Falls freeze over in the winter."
Hodne, who also captured video of the icy spectacle, said nature photography is her favorite hobby and that she stays warm when she's out in the elements by wearing "lots of layers." Her ensemble includes "two pairs of socks, [a] hat, scarf, T-shirt, sweatshirt, and a jacket." Despite the layering, she said this particular Arctic blast "is too cold."
Elsewhere in the Midwest, North Dakota saw temperatures of minus 14 in Bismarck and minus 17 in Fargo while the NWS office in Grand Forks reported a wind chill of minus 42 in McHenry.
"Dress warm in layers and limit exposed skin this morning," the NWS office advised on Twitter. "Even by our standards, this is very cold for December."
Meteorologists in Grand Forks also shared an animated satellite image that depicted how cold the surface of the Earth was across Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
Although the frigid air lost some of its sting as it moved into the East, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski, the cold was accompanied by steady-falling snow in areas such as northern New York and central Massachusetts.
Around Buffalo, New York, heavy lake-effect snow blanketed areas across Niagara County as bitter cold moved across the relatively mild waters of Lake Erie.
In Massachusetts, snow totals reached 6 inches in areas around Worcester County and Brimfield.
Even areas closer to the coast woke up to a wintry scene on Wednesday morning. AccuWeather reporter Dexter Henry captured a wintry mix falling as New Yorkers were greeted by plummeting temperatures for the start of Hump Day.
Related: