With December 21 come and gone – and even a big winter storm under our belts – winter has officially arrived in Minnesota. For many, it’s time to break out the snow boots and parkas, crank up the heat, and ready ourselves for a few months of freezing temperatures. Though the temperatures have certainly dropped, this year’s winter doesn’t quite compare to the Arctic freeze that swept Minnesota way back in the late 1800s. Read on to learn all about that frigid winter.

Minnesotans are no stranger to life when the temperature dips below freezing. But it becomes even more difficult when the mercury drops and stays there for weeks at at time.
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That's exactly what happened during the winter of 1874 to 1875.
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That winter, the temperature stayed below 31 degrees Fahrenheit for a record 80 days in a row. For nearly three full months, Minnesotans got no reprieve from the winter cold.
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The frosty cold snap started on December 19, 1874 and lasted through March 8 of the following year.
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A winter like the one of 1874-1875 has not happened since. In fact, the closest we have come was more than 100 years after the record-breaking winter.
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In the winter of 1977-1978, there were 66 days below freezing.
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Minnesota winters haven't gotten much more mild since these record-setting chills. But during no winter since has it been as solidly below freezing.
zanzibar/Flickr

Did you know about Minnesota’s record-setting winter over 100 years ago? What winter freezes do you most remember in Minnesota? Share your memories in the comments below!

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