Extreme Cold/Wind Chill — East Polk, Minnesota

2026-01-22 to 2026-01-24 · East Polk, Minnesota

Event narrative

The KFSE AWOS at Fosston, MN frequently reported wind chills -40 or lower from the morning of January 22 through the early morning hours of January 24. There was a shorter period of improvement during the afternoon period of January 23 when values were in the -33 to -39 range. The lowest wind chill value during this period at that site was -54.

Wider weather episode

Arctic air settled into the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest resulting in a prologued period of extreme cold and wind chills across northwest and west central Minnesota.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1316570. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.