What Was The Coldest Temperature Ever Recorded In Duluth Minnesota?

The recent cold snap begs the question:  "what was the coldest temperature ever recorded in Duluth, Minnesota"?

The answer comes to us from the archives of the National Weather Service, and takes us back to the 1800's.  The coldest temperature recorded in Duluth was -41, which occurred on January 2, 1885.  The winter of 1884-1885 was an especially cold one, with many sub-arctic temperatures recorded.

The coldest temperature that most of us remember in our lifetimes occurred in 1996.  From February 1st through the 4th, a blast of arctic air descended on the Northland, leaving shattered records in it's wake.  Record-lows of -57 were set in January in Embarras, Minnesota - and  the all-time record for MInnesota was set just a few days later on February 2, 1996 in Tower - when the mercury dipped to -60.  That same cold snap saw Duluth with a low of -37.