50 degrees below zero?! How do you live with that? (Minneapolis: homes, high school)

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by countrymanl67

-50 only happens in the northern part of the state and even then so very rarely. In the Minneapolis the record low is -36 and that occurred back in 1936. Its not bad and usually warms up by late March. Usually we see some 60s by that time.

Are you sure that is the record low in Minneapolis? I remember in '96 or so the governor closed all the schools because it was so cold. I know with the windchill it was in the -65 range. I thought the air temperature was in the -40 range.

I do remember visiting my grandpa in Bemidji in 1993 and the AIR temp was -45°. You could hear the sap in the pine trees snap from the cold--it sounded like gun shots.

[Kamsack]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Are you sure that is the record low in Minneapolis? I remember in '96 or so the governor closed all the schools because it was so cold. I know with the windchill it was in the -65 range. I thought the air temperature was in the -40 range.

I do remember visiting my grandpa in Bemidji in 1993 and the AIR temp was -45°. You could hear the sap in the pine trees snap from the cold--it sounded like gun shots.

Here is a good link from the MN state climate center....this is a list of various Twin Cities (MSP) temperature and precipitation data records, etc from 1896 up thru 2003 when this list was written by the NWS. -34F was the record for coldest ever for the Twin Cities 1/22/1936 and 1/19/1970.

Reference Temp and Precip Variations

The is a page describing many various Twin Cities weather records that is up to date
Long-Term Climate Summaries and Historical Data Retrieval


Dan

[marmac]

bear in mind that there is more to Minnesota than Minneapolis. I live 100 miles NW of Minneapolis and we usually are 10 degrees colder than Minneapolis.

Since where I live is considered Central Minnesota, heading North of me will see even lower temps than where I live.

[Hoosier]

Originally Posted by roneb

Hasn't this post run it's course yet? People have, do, and will continue to enjoy the outdoors, even at twenty below. Ever spent time in Fairbanks, AK? Definitely cold (-25 or -30 for a daytime high), but people still function. Yes frostbite becomes a real risk, but when you live in such an environment you learn how to be smart about it so it doesn't become a real concern. And the 50 below that people are wondering about is rare (even for Fairbanks!). Personally, I miss the snow and cold tremendously.

Ah, yes, Portland weather. I don't miss it. I love the cold and snow of Minnesota! The ice storms and wind that howls down the Columbia river and makes it difficult to cross the 205 bridge. It is night and day weather. Wish we could send you some of our subzero temps! Although I know that many Portlanders would freak if it got down to 39! So to actually hit 0 or below would put them all in a tailspin! I remember living out there and maybe two inches of snow shut the entire city down! I had fun driving down 84 into downtown! It was a ghost town on the highway. All kidding aside though, I do miss Portland! I spent many good years out there. An awesome place!

[Fred Finster]

Snappy cold. Requires hot tomato soup in a coffee cup with LOTS of BUTTER. Then not apple juice with vodka.

[Kingsnkali]

I delivered my Mpls Tribune morning paper route near the Lagoon/Lake of the Isles on that January morning in 1970 at -34 in Minneapolis. I looked like a 13 yo Michelin Man all bundled up for the cold. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Walking on snow is so noisy at those temperatures. Dead calm. Clear skies. The smoke/steam rising over Minneapolis that morning was an incredible sight.

[countrymanl67]

bear in mind that there is more to Minnesota than Minneapolis. I live 100 miles NW of Minneapolis and we usually are 10 degrees colder than Minneapolis.


A lot of people forget this. Minneapolis and all of southern Minnesota is actually in a different climate zone than northern Minnesota. There is a huge difference. Biggest difference is the growing season. There is a solid two month difference in the first/ last frost between Minneapolis and far northern Minnesota. During the summer it often drops in the 40s at night up north. But down in Minneapolis a July night below 55 would be rare.

[tvdxer]

Originally Posted by countrymanl67

bear in mind that there is more to Minnesota than Minneapolis. I live 100 miles NW of Minneapolis and we usually are 10 degrees colder than Minneapolis.


A lot of people forget this. Minneapolis and all of southern Minnesota is actually in a different climate zone than northern Minnesota. There is a huge difference. Biggest difference is the growing season. There is a solid two month difference in the first/ last frost between Minneapolis and far northern Minnesota. During the summer it often drops in the 40s at night up north. But down in Minneapolis a July night below 55 would be rare.

Median Growing Season

Duluth harbor: 173 days (about <10 miles from Duluth airport!)
Winona: 163 days
Minneapolis: 160 days
Rochester: 151 days
Duluth airport: 124 days
International Falls: 115 days
Hibbing: 110 days
Tower (shortest in state?): 50 days

Historical Climate Summaries Online Data | Historical Climate Summeries

[GraniteStater]

The growing season for Hibbing might be generous because I know that area can get a freeze during the month of August occasionally.

[marmac]

Since the OP asked about -50------I will tell you what happens when it is far warmer than that.

Saturday ,early evening, it was -3 in MPLS. A reporter from KSTP was out to see if it stopped people from enjoying outdoor activities. They were at Buck Hill Ski and there were very few people out and chair lift after chair lift was going empty.
The VERY FEW skiers who were there were well bundled up and stated it was niice because the usual crowd were not out in the cold.

The purpose of my post is to contradict the posters who proclaim they are out snowmobiling,skiing, hiking , and cold weather makes no difference.

I always take statements like that with a "grain of salt" because weather below zero DOES have a huge affect on how many people are participating in outdoor activities.