Submitted Photo Minot International Airport crew used special equipment to deice a commercial airplane last week. Photo from Minot International Airport.

An extreme cold warning issued by the National Weather Service in Bismarck was in effect until 2 p.m. on Monday for all areas north and east of the Missouri River, cautioning the public to layer up and avoid exposure to life threatening wind chills, which dipped as low as 45 degrees below zero. An additional cold weather advisory will be in effect until 2 p.m. this afternoon.

According to data from the National Weather Service (NWS) in Bismarck, the coldest temperature ever recorded in North Dakota was -60 degrees in Parshall on Feb. 15, 1936. As far as Minot is concerned, the coldest temperature ever recorded occurred on the same day as the state record at -49 degrees.

The high on Monday in Minot peaked at -13 degrees, with wind chill values gusting in at -40 degrees from winds reaching speeds of 25 miles per hour. With today’s high reaching near 27 degrees above zero, a 40 degree difference in temperature will be a welcome respite after the brutal cold that gripped the region after the weekend.

The rest of the week is forecasted to be relatively balmy compared to the previous days, with highs between 19 and 27 degrees and lows ranging from 6 to 19. Snowfall is possible today and tomorrow, beginning this afternoon, with a slight chance of more snow Thursday evening and Friday morning.

The NWS also announced on Monday the Doppler weather radar in Bismarck was out of service due to repairs required to correct an issue with its elevation motor. The public was directed to monitor adjacent radars, including KMBX at Minot Air Force Base and KMVX near Mayville.