| Episode Narrative |
After a clipper system dropped a couple inches of fresh snow on the 13th, Arctic high pressure and blustery north winds pushed into the area. The coldest air and the lowest wind chills of the season spread across much of west central Minnesota. Wind chills fell to 35 to 50 degrees below zero late in the evening of the 13th and remained through the 14th and into the mid morning hours of the 15th. Wind chills were as low as 60 degrees below zero by the morning of the 15th. Many vehicles did not start because of the extreme cold and several schools had delayed starts.
The Arctic high pressure area settled in on the morning of the 15th bringing the coldest temperatures in many years. The combination of a fresh and deep snow pack, clear skies, and light winds allowed temperatures to fall to record or near record levels at several locations on the 15th. Browns Valley had a record low of -32 degrees and Wheaton and Artichoke Lake both had near record lows of -30 degrees on the morning of the 15th. |
