Rochester’s Coldest, Snowiest Winter We’ll Never Forget

We’ve all been whining about the cold a lot lately. As we should, it’s the kind of cold where your face hurts, your car won’t start, and you start questioning why you even live in Minnesota.

But as miserable as this past month has felt, it’s still not that cold. Says the freeze baby, I know. Hear me out…

What I mean is, it’s not that cold compared to the coldest winter in recent memory. In fact, that whole season was a doozie.

If you were in Rochester the winter of 2018-2019, you already know where this is going.
Yes, The Polar Vortex.

That winter wasn't just cold by Minnesota standards, it was historic. It was actually colder, wetter, and snowier than normal, and Rochester felt every bit of it.

At the end of January, a dangerously cold arctic air mass settled over the region after a winter storm, and once it arrived, it did not mess around. And yes, I'm quoting the National Weather Forecast, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Temps plunged below zero and stayed there.

For days.

According to the National Weather Service, Rochester dipped below zero on 28 different days during the winter of 2018–2019. Late January brought one of the longest stretches of sub-zero highs on record, forcing schools to close and businesses to shut down. Life basically paused. Even the mail stopped showing up in some places.

Get our free mobile app

Then there was the wind.

Wind chills dropped into the -30 to -60 degree range, turning even a quick trip outside into something genuinely dangerous. On January 30th, the high temperature was -19 degrees. The following morning, temperatures bottomed out at -30 degrees, the coldest winter reading Rochester had seen in more than 20 years. And at 4 a.m. on January 30th? The wind chill was clocked at 61 below zero at RST!

And, let's not forget about the snow - the optimist in me also wants to remind you of this, so we can feel better about this winter (of course)!

Also See: The Ultimate A to Z Guide to Rochester Life - Including the Unpredictable Weather! 

From December 1st through February 28th, the snow observer near Rochester International Airport recorded 68.2 inches of snow. That’s more than 35 inches above normal.

So yes, it may be cold right now. Miserably cold. BUT, I guess one thing is for sure: it could always be worse, am I right?