Cold Weather Changes Plans, Drives Folks Indoors

Wind chill was a major component of the weekend, making it feel well under 20 below in some places.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – Cold is nothing new in North Dakota, but at points this weekend, it has been absolutely brutal, largely due to those swirling, whipping winds. The popular saying in the Midwest is that it’s not the temperature, it’s the wind that will get you.

It turns out – that’s basically how wind chill works. The wind takes away the protective blanket of insulation generated by your natural body heat, making you feel the temperatures much more acutely.

It’s not like the temperature needed any help making people feel cold, with reported lows of negative 13 on Saturday and negative 15 on Sunday.

Many were thankful that there was no significant snowfall to make it even more difficult to get around.

That’s another little-known fact about biting temperatures – if it’s too cold outside, it actually inhibits precipitation.

The ideal dendritic zone is from 0 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

“If it’s too cold – typically the air is drier in the wintertime, and it holds less water vapor, less moisture, so you’re less likely to see maybe heavy snow. It can still snow, you’re just not usually going to see as much when it gets really, really cold,” explained KVRR forecaster Leighton Lee.

Even with that saving grace, plans were still disrupted.

The Fargo Police Department cancelled their “Skate with a Cop” event and organizers in West Fargo had to move their “Skate with Santa” from the outdoor rink at The Lights to the Veterans Memorial Arena.

It may have felt recordbreaking – but the Fargo area has seen far more brutal.

“The record was negative 28 degrees in 1917. So it can definitely get much colder,” said Lee.