With Warming Weather, DNR's 'Winter Misery Index' Takes A Dive

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) - Minnesota winters are known for their harsh subzero temperatures, mounting snowfalls and blistering winds. But it's safe to say in the Twin Cities the winter of 2016 and 2017 has been a shell of itself.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) keeps a "Twin Cities Winter Misery Index."

The higher the score the more miserable the winter. Points are calculated using snowfall totals. According to Pete Boulay, Assistant State Climatologist with the DNR, one point is given for each inch of snow, then a bonus point for 4 inches and another bonus point for 8 inches.

Points are also accumulated by the temperature. For each day that high temperature is 10 degrees or below, there is a point. When the low is zero degrees or below, there's another point. A bonus point is given for 20 degrees below zero. Temperatures and snow totals are measured at the MSP Airport.

"We had a minus 20 back in December so that was kind of the big moment this winter," said Boulay.

The month of February often brings with it snowstorms and frigid temps, but that has been the case so far in 2017.

At Minnehaha Falls, couples flocked there on Valentine's Day to enjoy the view and warmer weather.

"Had a little extra time before we got to dinner and it's a nice day so I figured hey, let's go check (the Falls) out," said Jessica Harren who stopped by before her date with Johnny Demay.

When asked if the winter this season felt miserable, she said, "No, we've been through way worse."

The misery index currently gave the Twin Cities a score of 48. The 2015-16 season was also mild, scoring 47.

People need to only look back a few years to the winter of 2013-14 during the infamous "Polar Vortex" to find a miserable season. That winter scored 207 on the misery index for the Twin Cities.

Three decades earlier was one the worst in the past century. The winter of 1983-84 scored 275 misery points.

"If you were a snow lover, you loved the early 80s and 1983-84 was one of those winters where we had a lot of snow storms," said Boulay.

Mary Ann Bannerman remembered that historically cold season. "It was kind of what we consider real Minnesota winters and they're long and kind of hard and miserable," she said.

Boulay expects current index score to rise. Even though he doesn't anticipate many more days where the temperature falls to 10 degrees or below, he said it wouldn't be a surprise to get hit with a "Tournament" snow in early March and beyond.

"We could get misery index points all the way through May. If it snows in May an inch, we could still get a misery index point," he said.

The most miserable winter on record according to the Twin Cities index was 100 years earlier. In 1916-17, the score was 305 points.

For more information on the index and to see how other seasons scored, click here.