So, how bad has this winter been compared to "normal"? (Chanhassen: utilities, gas)

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by MPLS_TC

I'm 32 and this is by far the coldest winter I have experienced. All these old people are acting as if below zero temps for a low every night is average when it simply is not. If it ever got to the point where every winter was like this than I would definitely move. This place isn't that great in the first place so I definitely would move.

You'd need a new screen name. Too much hassle. Better stay here.

[Globe199]

Since it won't get below zero today, we tied the record for the 8th most consecutive below-zero days at MSP. 17 days in a row went below zero -- from 1/26 thru 2/11. We would've tied for 4th place with 21 were it not for Jan 24th/25th where the high temp was +2. Going back even further, this brutality really started on 1/15 with a low of -1. That's nearly a month of significantly below average temperatures.

The most recent such brutal streak was 23 days, 1976-12-28 to 1977-01-19.

[golfgal]

Curious--5 below is one thing but are these streaks the -20 we have been having? It will be interesting to see how it shakes out come March/April where we sit for average high and low temps this winter.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

I have propane at my home in northern MN. It's currently over $4 a gallon. Luckily I am using in-floor heat and turning down my furnace to 45 degrees. I winter in AZ. But a lot of people are paying through the nose. A typical pre-buy price for propane is $1.50 a gallon. With this super cold winter, most didn't plan for this.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

I have propane at my home in northern MN. It's currently over $4 a gallon. Luckily I am using in-floor heat and turning down my furnace to 45 degrees. I winter in AZ. But a lot of people are paying through the nose. A typical pre-buy price for propane is $1.50 a gallon. With this super cold winter, most didn't plan for this.

There is a shortage of Propane so getting more is an issue too.

[Globe199]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Curious--5 below is one thing but are these streaks the -20 we have been having? It will be interesting to see how it shakes out come March/April where we sit for average high and low temps this winter.

As I said a ways back, any below zero temperature is colder than normal here. The coldest average temp is +7, during a week or two in mid-January.

Since 1891, we have hit -20 on only 260 days.

December was about 7 degrees colder than normal. January was about 5.6 deg colder than normal. The first 11 days of February were about 11.5 (!) deg colder than normal. So if you want to consider winter as Dec/Jan/Feb, we're probably a good 8 deg colder than normal so far.

[Katarina Witt]

According to this link, there are an average of 23 days in Mpls where the temp hits zero or below, and it's ahead by a long shot:

Coldest City in the United States - Current Results

[knke0204]

Well, a year ago today (2/13/13) it reached a high of 39 in Minneapolis. And the avg temp for February, 2013 was 26 degrees. This year, so far the average has been 13.

In 2012, the average temp in February was 35 degrees. The temp on February 6, 2012 reached a high of 46 degrees. This year on February 6 it reached a high of 4 degrees and the low was -11. So.. Yah, a 57 degree variation in a couple of years. Rad.

[wamer27]

So with the last two or three nights with lows below zero, and an outlook has at least 8 out of the next 10 days with below zero lows. With 11 more days to the below zero lows, we gotta damn near the all time record!

[Beenhere4ever]

Nope. Struggling to make the top 5 or top 10. In January of 1983, we had 20" snowfalls on two consecutive weekends. That's almost the entire snowfall of this season in a 9 day period. However, with the migration of people, I'd say "record" probably has to go back to 1990 or newer. Its a fairly big, cold winter in that narrow context. The failure of the weather to melt the snow is what sets this winter apart. I've seen temps in the 50's in January. This year, the alternative to snow is subzero cold. That to me is what complicates matters. Streets get narrower and narrower. Transit goes slower and slower. Highway traffic has progressed to the point that it barely moves in perfect weather!!! Throw some unmalting snow into it, and people with anger management issues are gonna suffer serious physical damage. The Type B's are really in their prime right now. They just breathe from the abdomen and take whatever time it takes.