Arctic air sweeping south over Plains shatters record temperatures in North Dakota

Arctic air gripping the Plains has broken cold-weather records in North Dakota

North Dakota felt more like the North Pole on Tuesday as lows broke records in the state capital of Bismarck and other parts of the state that had stood for more than a century.

Bismarck hit minus 39 on Tuesday, breaking the record of minus 37 (-38.3 C) set in 1910 for the same date, said National Weather Service Meteorologist James Telken in Bismarck. And late on Monday, Bismarck set a record of minus 35, shattering a 150-year-old record of minus 30 for the date of Feb. 17.

Much of the Midwest including Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska also is gripped by low temperatures double digits below zero.

People should make sure to bundle up with hats, jackets and other winter gear even if they are outside for only a few minutes in such subzero cold, and they should bring pets indoors, Telken said. Warm clothing is especially important for drivers should they become stranded, he added.

A gradual warmup is expected with lows on Wednesday night across most of North Dakota forecasted to be in the minus 10s to minus 20s. By Thursday, lows are projected to be in the single digits above and below zero.

Forecasted highs for Monday are in the 50s for parts of southwestern and south-central North Dakota, he said.