Updated: Two locations in Cook County record the coldest temperatures over weekend as power is officially restored in Grand Marais
Jan 20, 2025 10:40AM ● By Content Editor
Photo: Cecilie Bomstad on Unsplash.com
By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - Updated January 20, 2025 at 10:45 am. Originally posted at 9:45 am.
Between Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, two of the coldest temperature and wind chill readings across the Arrowhead were recorded in Cook County. Around 8 am yesterday, Seagull Lake recorded an actual temperature of -31F (which happened to be similar to the wind chill reading in Grand Marais Harbor, which was -35F). Other areas around the county weren't much "warmer," with Grand Portage recording an actual temperature of -23F at the same time. By noon on Sunday, the Bay of Grand Marais recorded an actual temperature of -18F.
Related: Minimum temperatures recorded in Cook County and Grand Portage on Monday, January 20
The coldest wind chill temperature recorded across the Arrowhead was recorded at the Grand Marais Airport, with a -51F wind chill at 6 am.
Temperatures continue to be in the double digits below zero as of this morning, with wind chills coming in in the upper -20sF and lower -30sF. An Extreme Cold Warning is in effect until noon on Tuesday.
Around 9:30 am on Sunday, many Grand Marais Public Utilities customers lost power, with the exceptions of downtown Grand Marais and a handful of people throughout the area. The outage spanned approximately from Croftville to Fall River Falls. City officials were immediately alerted, and linemen from public utilities and Arrowhead Cooperative were dispatched to address the issue. In an email to affected residents and Boreal Community Media, the city issued a statement that the power outage was caused "due to excessive load on the system." Additionally, residents were asked to "limit their power use within reasonable limits where possible," including "turning off unnecessary lights and appliances" to help prevent additional outages. Making small adjustments to the electrical usage can help "stabilize the system," according to officials.
After an hour after the initial outage, many residents reported regaining power (specifically starting from the east end of city limits), with most regaining power after a few hours. However, residents on the west side of city limits, from the US Forest Service building on Highway 61 to Fall River Road, were without power until around 9 pm yesterday evening.
Many residents throughout the initial outage area reported hearing "pops" or noticing flickering lights yesterday evening. The city is currently looking into what may have been the cause.
Around 4:30 pm on Sunday, Cook County officials announced that Public Health and Human Services employees were on standby to set up an emergency warming center due to the cold temperatures and power outages. Residents were encouraged to call Cook County dispatch to request assistance. The county also mentioned that if a warming center is set up, an announcement would follow. 10:45 am update: According to Cook County Public Health and Human Services Director Alison McIntyre, "We did not have any requests for emergency shelter, so did not establish a warming site. If there are additional prolonged outages and extreme cold, our staff are available to set up a temporary warming site or provide assistance by calling Dispatch" at 218-387-3030.
Around 8:30 am this morning, the City of Grand Marais issued a statement on Facebook and in an email to affected residents and Boreal Community Media that all power has been fully restored to Grand Marais Public Utilities customers. According to the statement, "Grand Marais & Arrowhead Linemen worked diligently yesterday to repair a faulted elbow connection in a junction box, which caused the outage."
There is no word on whether or not there is concern from city officials for another power outage, or if they are still asking residents to conserve energy usage within reasonable limits so as not to overload the grid. Boreal Community Media has reached out to the city with these questions, and will provide an update as soon as it becomes available.
By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - Updated January 20, 2025 at 10:45 am. Originally posted at 9:45 am.
Between Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, two of the coldest temperature and wind chill readings across the Arrowhead were recorded in Cook County. Around 8 am yesterday, Seagull Lake recorded an actual temperature of -31F (which happened to be similar to the wind chill reading in Grand Marais Harbor, which was -35F). Other areas around the county weren't much "warmer," with Grand Portage recording an actual temperature of -23F at the same time. By noon on Sunday, the Bay of Grand Marais recorded an actual temperature of -18F.
Related: Minimum temperatures recorded in Cook County and Grand Portage on Monday, January 20
The coldest wind chill temperature recorded across the Arrowhead was recorded at the Grand Marais Airport, with a -51F wind chill at 6 am.
Temperatures continue to be in the double digits below zero as of this morning, with wind chills coming in in the upper -20sF and lower -30sF. An Extreme Cold Warning is in effect until noon on Tuesday.
Around 9:30 am on Sunday, many Grand Marais Public Utilities customers lost power, with the exceptions of downtown Grand Marais and a handful of people throughout the area. The outage spanned approximately from Croftville to Fall River Falls. City officials were immediately alerted, and linemen from public utilities and Arrowhead Cooperative were dispatched to address the issue. In an email to affected residents and Boreal Community Media, the city issued a statement that the power outage was caused "due to excessive load on the system." Additionally, residents were asked to "limit their power use within reasonable limits where possible," including "turning off unnecessary lights and appliances" to help prevent additional outages. Making small adjustments to the electrical usage can help "stabilize the system," according to officials.
After an hour after the initial outage, many residents reported regaining power (specifically starting from the east end of city limits), with most regaining power after a few hours. However, residents on the west side of city limits, from the US Forest Service building on Highway 61 to Fall River Road, were without power until around 9 pm yesterday evening.
Many residents throughout the initial outage area reported hearing "pops" or noticing flickering lights yesterday evening. The city is currently looking into what may have been the cause.
Around 4:30 pm on Sunday, Cook County officials announced that Public Health and Human Services employees were on standby to set up an emergency warming center due to the cold temperatures and power outages. Residents were encouraged to call Cook County dispatch to request assistance. The county also mentioned that if a warming center is set up, an announcement would follow. 10:45 am update: According to Cook County Public Health and Human Services Director Alison McIntyre, "We did not have any requests for emergency shelter, so did not establish a warming site. If there are additional prolonged outages and extreme cold, our staff are available to set up a temporary warming site or provide assistance by calling Dispatch" at 218-387-3030.
There is no word on whether or not there is concern from city officials for another power outage, or if they are still asking residents to conserve energy usage within reasonable limits so as not to overload the grid. Boreal Community Media has reached out to the city with these questions, and will provide an update as soon as it becomes available.
