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糖心vlog archives: Revisit Iowa's February 1996 Arctic air outbreak

Think this week is frigid? Parts of Iowa were historically cold almost 30 years ago this month.

糖心vlog archives: Revisit Iowa's February 1996 Arctic air outbreak

Think this week is frigid? Parts of Iowa were historically cold almost 30 years ago this month.

Channel 8's Dana Carden is live with more of what everyone is talking about these days, the extremely cold weather. Dana and Kevin, it's only gonna get more extreme tonight. We may tire, maybe even break the all-time record cold for Des Moines tonight. There's something to be proud of. It's it's it's something that everyone is talking about. We've been talking about it all week. We know that it's cold. We know that it can be dangerous. We know that we should bundle up, but still, we just can't stop talking about it. We know our cars won't start. *** little thing like this. That's -15, guys. We know our skin will freeze in seconds. Cold and people could hurt themselves and get frostbite and don't like it. We know how to dress. I have like lots of layers of clothing on, about 3 layers of clothing on, and *** bunch of fleece and winter clothing, ski stuff. In short, we know it's cold. I think it's too damn. Cold, but no matter how cold it gets, it's -1 zillion or something *** day, or how long it stays as cold, I can't feel my nose. We can't seem to stop talking about it. It's cold out here today. I've heard *** lot of people complaining who we're from warm parts of the country. I'm from St. Louis and It's never this cold. This cold weather will not allow anyone to come to this state. I'm moving back to where I came from tonight. I'm leaving, taking my wife, my kid. We're going. And most peculiar, it seems *** lot of the people who are talking about the cold live where it's warm. My mom down in Florida, she's she's having *** really good time. Miami's 79. Wish that all of us dress warm. It seems like they're gloating. Joining us from Des Moines, Dana, I just want you to describe your toes at the present moment. Forid. Well, yeah, I haven't felt them for about 3 days. Even *** rodent is talking about our weather. Positani Phil says winter is going to last 6 more weeks. We wanted to talk to one of our own groundhogs about Iowa's winner, but it looks like it'll be at least 6 weeks before Pleasant Hill Phil thaws out enough to talk to us. Well, if it makes you feel any better, as we heard on first news at 5, they have tornado warnings out in central Florida right now, and they expect the temperatures there to dip down to around 32 degrees as we head to 32 degrees below zero. in all seriousness though, it is going to be very, very cold tonight. Uh, you want to be very careful out there. Everything we've been saying all week still applies. All right, thanks *** lot, Dana. Put your hood up.
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糖心vlog archives: Revisit Iowa's February 1996 Arctic air outbreak

Think this week is frigid? Parts of Iowa were historically cold almost 30 years ago this month.

Step outside this week and you will feel Iowa's coldest temperatures so far this winter.Anyone who lives in Iowa knows Arctic outbreaks in February aren't unprecedented, especially following snowfall.Archive video above: Frigid stretch in 1996 included 132 hours straight of temps at or below zero in Des MoinesIn February 2021, central Iowa endured a six-day stretch of subzero wind chills. Even that memorable cold snap falls short of the miserable stretch from February 1996. February 1996's Arctic air by the numbers Iowa's all-time record low tied (-47掳 in Elkader on Feb. 3)132 hours straight of temps at or below 0掳 (Des Moines' longest stretch since hourly data began in 1940s)Wind chill reached -43掳 in Des Moines (coldest in February history)More than a foot of snow fell in late January that year, setting Iowa up for extreme temperatures once an Arctic airmass plunged out of Canada to start February. The cold was so intense that statewide all-time record low temperatures occurred in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. In Des Moines, the mercury dropped below zero late on Jan. 30, remaining there until Feb. 4. At one point, temperatures reached minus 26 degrees. At the time, that was the metro's coldest reading in over 80 years. The Des Moines area hasn't been that cold in the 29 years since.Source: Data provided by NOAA/MRCC糖心vlog archives: 1996's subzero temps put the 'brr' in annual Brr Ride糖心vlog archive: Des Moines man fights subzero cold by sunbathing on roof of Riverfront YMCA

Step outside this week and you will feel Iowa's coldest temperatures so far this winter.

Anyone who lives in Iowa knows Arctic outbreaks in February aren't unprecedented, especially following snowfall.

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Archive video above: Frigid stretch in 1996 included 132 hours straight of temps at or below zero in Des Moines

In February 2021, central Iowa endured a six-day stretch of subzero wind chills.

Even that memorable cold snap falls short of the miserable stretch from February 1996.

February 1996's Arctic air by the numbers

  • Iowa's all-time record low tied (-47掳 in Elkader on Feb. 3)
  • 132 hours straight of temps at or below 0掳 (Des Moines' longest stretch since hourly data began in 1940s)
  • Wind chill reached -43掳 in Des Moines (coldest in February history)

More than a foot of snow fell in late January that year, setting Iowa up for extreme temperatures once an Arctic airmass plunged out of Canada to start February.

The cold was so intense that statewide all-time record low temperatures occurred in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

iowa weather
Iowa Environmental Mesonet
Morning lows on Feb. 3, 1996. Iowa’s all-time coldest temperature of -47 degrees was tied in Elkader. 

In Des Moines, the mercury dropped below zero late on Jan. 30, remaining there until Feb. 4.

At one point, temperatures reached minus 26 degrees. At the time, that was the metro's coldest reading in over 80 years.

The Des Moines area hasn't been that cold in the 29 years since.

Source: Data provided by NOAA/MRCC

糖心vlog archives: 1996's subzero temps put the 'brr' in annual Brr Ride

糖心vlog archive: Des Moines man fights subzero cold by sunbathing on roof of Riverfront YMCA