Subzero Temperature Days Reaching Near-Record Levels in Midwe

By: By Chris Dolce

Published: February 26, 2014

70 Days With Subzero Temperatures

The number of days with subzero temperatures has reached record or near-record levels for many Midwest cities this winter. We have the rankings for several of these cities, starting with two locations that will log day 70 of subzero temperatures on Friday.
Note: A subzero day is one where the temperature fell below zero at any one point during a particular calendar day.
(MORE: Winter 2013-2014 a Top 5 Snowiest | Coldest February for Midwest Cities?)

International Falls, Minn.

• Number of subzero days this winter: 68 through Feb. 26
• Friday will mark day number 70, tying the all-time record for the period of Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 set in 1977-1978.

Grand Forks, N.D.

• Number of subzero days this winter: 68 through Feb. 26
• Subzero day number 70 will be this Friday. This will tie as the fourth most number of subzero days on record for the period from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. The all-time record for this period of time is 74 days.
• When looking at the entire cold season from November to April, the most subzero days on record is 85 in the winter of 1977-1978.

60+ Days With Subzero Temperatures

Tim Jones plows the road to his residence between Fargo and Wild Rice, N.D. on Feb. 13, 2014. Image credit: AP Photo/Dave Kolpack

Duluth, Minn.

• Number of subzero days this winter: 63 through Feb. 26.
• This beats the old record of 59 days set in the winter of 1958-1959, 1916-1917 and 1874-1875 for the period from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28.
• Included is a record streak of 23 straight days with subzero lows from Jan. 20 through Feb. 11. 

Fargo, N.D.

• Number of subzero days this winter: 63 through Feb. 26.
• Subzero day number 65 will be this Friday, which will tie as the fourth most for the period from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 dating back to the 1880s.

Aberdeen, S.D.

• Number of subzero days this winter: 60 through Feb. 26.
• All-time record is 72 days in the winter of 1916-1917.

40+ Days With Subzero Temperatures

A pedestrian makes a hasty crossing on a downtown Minneapolis street Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. Image credit: AP Photo/Jim Mone

Green Bay, Wis.

• Number of subzero days this winter: 47 through Feb. 26.
• This is the second most subzero days ever recorded in an entire cold season. The all-time record of 48 days will likely be tied Thursday and broken on Friday.

Minneapolis

• Number of subzero days this winter: 45 through Feb. 26.
• This ties 1981-1982 as the tenth most for a season. The Twin Cities will likely enter the top five this weekend when the number reaches 49.

Rochester, Minn.

• Number of subzero days this winter: 47 through Feb. 26
• This ties as the seventh most for the period from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28.

Windy City in the Top Three

Snow and ice covers the shoreline of Lake Michigan on February 18, 2014 near Chicago, Illinois. Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Chicago

• Number of subzero days this winter: 22 through Feb. 26.
• This ranks as the third most subzero days on record in the Windy City in the cold season. The all-time record is 25 days in the winter of 1884-85. Second place is a tie at 24 days in the winters of 1935-1936 and 1962-1963.

(MORE: Winter 2013-2014 a Top 5 Snowiest | Coldest February for Midwest Cities?)

MORE: 20 Coldest Large U.S. Cities

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#20: Boston (Avg. Dec-Feb Temp: 31.8 degrees)

Boston's all-time record low was -18 degrees set on Feb. 9, 1934. Once every 1-2 years the city shivers in subzero cold. Subfreezing temperatures occur 94 days a year, there. (Photo: Darren McCollester/Getty Images)