Will Duluth See Record-Breaking Cold This February Like In 2021?
It is officially February and that means brutal conditions are on the way for the Twin Ports, just like every seasons past.
In February of last year, we saw a consistent cold snap that lasted a good portion of the month. It was so cold that the start of the month broke records, becoming one of the coldest starts to the month in Duluth in history.
That was only the beginning as the Duluth area went on to have hundreds of hours worth of wind chill advisories consecutively. How many hours? About three-hundred consecutive hours worth of wind chill advisories.
Things calmed down a bit after that only to ramp back up again this winter season. In September, the Old Farmer's Almanac warned that we should prepare for our "longest" and "coldest" winter in years. Yikes.
Whether or not that comes true remains to be seen. The Old Farmer's Almanac wasn't exactly on point for Duluth for January. They forecasted a very snowy month but it has been anything but. They were right about the cold though, which is pretty much a give-in.
So what are they forecasting for the month of February? Here's a breakdown of what the Old Farmer's Almanac is predicting:
- From the start of the month through the sixth, things will be calm with sunshine and mild temperatures.
- From the seventh through the sixteenth, we will see periods of flurry activity and periods of cold.
- From the seventeenth to the twenty-second, we will see snow. A few days later, we will see snow turning to flurries and cold temperatures.
- Beginning on the twenty-third through the end of the month, we will see periods of snow but overall, it will be mild.
The good news is that if the Old Farmer's Almanac is correct, we will see an average temperature around seventeen. We are also looking at a bit more precipitation than usual, which means a bit more snow than usual.
So far, the Old Farmer's Almanac is not lining up with what the National Weather Service of Duluth is forecasting for the start of the month. The NWS Duluth shared an outlook for the start of February, which calls for anything but a mild start to the month:
Only time will tell what the month holds but I am with the National Weather Service on this one. There is just no way that February will be a mild month for the Twin Ports, especially after what we saw last year.
On the first of February this year, temperatures are predicted to drop from the upper twenties in Duluth to the low teens and single digits this afternoon. The National Weather Service of Duluth even shared a map showing how quickly temperatures will change across the area. Mild? I think not.
The good news is that the 2022 Cold Front Festival in Duluth will be living up to its name. The event takes place on Saturday (February 5th) and it looks like it will be cold indeed.