Skip to main content

Boreal Community Media

How cold? 49 below zero Sunday morning in northern Minnesota

Jan 27, 2019 10:34AM ● By Editor

Temperatures in northern Minnesota dropped to near 50 below zero on Sunday morning — that's air temperature, not counting the wind.

The National Weather Service in Duluth relayed a report of 49 degrees below zero at Kabetogama in northern St. Louis County. A few miles away, a weather station near Ash Lake reported 48 below.

Other morning lows included 46 below at International Falls, Babbitt, Celina, and Sea Gull Lake on the Gunflint Trail; and 45 below at Embarrass and Brimson.

The low at International Falls sets a record for the date; the Weather Service reported it's the fifth-lowest temperature on record all-time for the city on the Canadian border. The previous Jan. 27 record low temperature was 36 below, set in 1966.

Hibbing also set a record on Sunday morning, with a low of 40 below.

Wind chill reports included 57 below zero at the Grand Marais airport, 54 below at International Falls and 51 below at the Grand Marais harbor.

The cold is just getting started, as another shot of arctic air is forecast to sweep across the state for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Lows may reach the 20s below zero — or lower — across all of Minnesota by midweek, with highs remaining below zero. West-northwest winds will make it feel even colder.

Here's a roundup of low temperature reports from across Minnesota on Sunday morning; these are air temperatures, not factoring in the wind:

  • 49 below zero — Kabetogama
  • 48 below zero — Ash Lake
  • 46 below zero — Babbitt, Celina, Sea Gull Lake
  • 45 below zero — International Falls, Embarrass, Brimson
  • 44 below zero — Crane Lake, Cotton
  • 43 below zero — Effie
  • 42 below zero — Orr, Birchdale
  • 41 below zero — Ely, Gunflint Lake, Skibo
  • 40 below zero — Hibbing, Bigfork, Littlefork, Margie
  • 39 below zero — Twig, Loman
  • 38 below zero — Eveleth, Cook, Makinen
  • 37 below zero — Kelliher, Jacobson
  • 36 below zero — Bemidji, Baudette
  • 35 below zero — Warroad, Waskish, Aurora, Cass Lake, Hill City, Northome, Longville
  • 34 below zero — Park Rapids, Wright, Inger
  • 33 below zero — Fosston, Roseau, Grand Rapids, Aitkin, Grand Marais airport, Isabella, Kettle River, Emily, Pine River, Saginaw
  • 32 below zero — Walker, Grand Portage, Hovland, Chisholm, Deer River
  • 31 below zero — Silver Bay, Northome
  • 30 below zero — Thief River Falls, Brainerd, Federal Dam, Moose Lake, Side Lake
  • 29 below zero — Cloquet, Bruno, Sturgeon Lake, Wadena, Staples
  • 27 below zero — Grand Marais harbor, Virginia, Two Harbors, Long Prairie, Melrose
  • 26 below zero — Hallock, Crookston, Esko, McGregor
  • 24 below zero — Detroit Lakes, Hinckley, Grand Marais harbor, Benson, Little Falls
  • 22 below zero — Duluth airport, Fergus Falls, Morris, Paynesville
  • 20 below zero — Willmar, Mora, Princeton
  • 18 below zero — St. Cloud, Duluth harbor, Albert Lea, Cambridge, Glencoe, Red Wing, Waseca, Owatonna
  • 17 below zero — Lakeville, Litchfield, Buffalo, New Ulm
  • 16 below zero — Mankato, Maple Lake
  • 15 below zero — Montevideo, Madison
  • 8 below zero — Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport


  • Boreal Ship Spotter - larger view here