Embarrass, Minnesota#Geography and climate
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Embarrass
| settlement_type = Unincorporated community
| nickname =
| motto = "The Cold Spot"
| image_skyline = Nelimark Homestead Museum.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_caption = The Nelimark Homestead Museum in Embarrass
| image_flag =
| image_seal =
| image_map =
| mapsize =
| map_caption = Location of the community of Embarrass
within Embarrass Township, Saint Louis County
| image_map1 =
| mapsize1 =
| map_caption1 =
| pushpin_map = Minnesota#USA
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Minnesota
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = Saint Louis
| subdivision_type3 = Township
| subdivision_name3 = Embarrass Township
| government_footnotes =
| government_type =
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
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| established_date =
| unit_pref =
| area_footnotes =
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| population_total = 30
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| timezone = Central (CST)
| utc_offset = −6
| timezone_DST = CDT
| utc_offset_DST = −5
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| elevation_ft = 1424
| coordinates = {{coord|47|39|33|N|92|11|53|W|region:US-MN|display=it}}
| postal_code_type = ZIP codes
| postal_code = 55732
| area_code = 218
| blank_name = GNIS feature ID
| blank_info = 661211{{cite gnis|661211|Embarrass, Minnesota}}
| blank1_name =
| blank1_info =
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}}
Embarrass is an unincorporated community in Embarrass Township, Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States.
The community is located on the Mesabi Iron Range. With an average annual temperature of {{convert|36.4|F|C|abbr=}}, Embarrass is notable as the coldest place in Minnesota.
Geography and climate
The community of Embarrass is located {{convert|22|mi|km}} northeast of the city of Virginia; and {{convert|27|mi|km}} southwest of Ely. Embarrass is {{convert|12|mi|km}} south of Tower; and {{convert|86|mi|km}} north of Duluth. Nearby places include Tower, Aurora, Hoyt Lakes, Biwabik, and Babbitt.
The center of Embarrass is generally considered near the intersection of Saint Louis County Roads 21, 362 (Waisanen Road), and 615 (Salo Road); located in the southeast portion of Embarrass Township (population 607). The Embarrass River flows through the community. The Pike River is also nearby.
State Highway 135 (MN 135), Saint Louis County Highway 21 (CR 21), and County Road 26 (CR 26) are three of the main routes in the Embarrass area.
Embarrass has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), bordering very closely on a subarctic climate (Dfc), with short, warm summers and long, bitterly cold winters, very similar to Siberia. Summer nights remain cool despite the warm days. With an average annual temperature of {{convert|36.4|F|C|abbr=}}, Embarrass is the coldest place in Minnesota. In winter 2000–2001, the temperature in Embarrass did not rise above freezing from November 24 to March 1; the high for meteorological winter (December to February) was 32 °F on January 10. The coldest calendar month on record (since 1995, with some months missing data) in Embarrass was January 2014, with an average temperature of {{convert|-8.3|F|C}}.
In January 2005, Embarrass had a near-record low temperature of {{convert|-54|F|C}}. The unofficial low temperature is {{convert|-64|F|C}}, which was reached in February 1996. [https://amp.wdio.com/articles/coldest-temperature-minnesota-5999405.html 25th anniversary of the coldest temperature recorded in Minnesota] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203075206/https://amp.wdio.com/articles/coldest-temperature-minnesota-5999405.html |date=February 3, 2021 }} The thermometer that measured this temperature was verified for accuracy by Taylor Environmental Instruments, but as it was not recorded at a National Weather Service Cooperative Site, it will remain unofficial. The current record low temperature for Minnesota {{convert|-60|F|C}} was recorded outside of the nearby town of Tower on February 2, 1996, by the NWS Cooperative Observer located there.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fox21online.com/2017/02/02/coldest-place-small-minnesota-town-earned-states-frigid-title/|title = The Coldest Place: How a Small Minnesota Town Earned the State's Frigid Title|date = 3 February 2017}}
Embarrass averages a coldest daytime high of the year at {{convert|-11|F|C}} with a record low daily high of {{convert|-29|F|C}} during the 1996 cold wave. The warmest night of the year averages {{convert|63|F|C}} with the warmest low on record being {{convert|69|F|C}}.
The average first and last dates for a freeze are August 31 and June 20, giving Embarrass a short average growing season of only 72 days. By contrast, the growing season of Fairbanks is approximately 100 days, even though the latter has slightly colder temperatures overall.
{{Weather box
| width = auto
| location = Embarrass, Minnesota (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1994–present)
| single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 44
| Feb record high F = 55
| Mar record high F = 74
| Apr record high F = 78
| May record high F = 88
| Jun record high F = 96
| Jul record high F = 94
| Aug record high F = 92
| Sep record high F = 90
| Oct record high F = 84
| Nov record high F = 72
| Dec record high F = 46
| year record high F = 96
| Jan avg record high F = 35.1
| Feb avg record high F = 38.9
| Mar avg record high F = 55.9
| Apr avg record high F = 68.6
| May avg record high F = 80.7
| Jun avg record high F = 83.5
| Jul avg record high F = 87.3
| Aug avg record high F = 85.1
| Sep avg record high F = 80.1
| Oct avg record high F = 69.8
| Nov avg record high F = 51.7
| Dec avg record high F = 37.9
| year avg record high F = 88.3
| Jan high F = 16.8
| Feb high F = 22.7
| Mar high F = 36.0
| Apr high F = 49.8
| May high F = 63.7
| Jun high F = 72.7
| Jul high F = 77.7
| Aug high F = 75.5
| Sep high F = 66.1
| Oct high F = 50.6
| Nov high F = 34.4
| Dec high F = 21.8
| year high F = 49.0
| Jan mean F = 4.7
| Feb mean F = 8.9
| Mar mean F = 22.2
| Apr mean F = 36.2
| May mean F = 49.1
| Jun mean F = 59.0
| Jul mean F = 63.5
| Aug mean F = 61.4
| Sep mean F = 53.4
| Oct mean F = 40.1
| Nov mean F = 25.8
| Dec mean F = 12.1
| year mean F = 36.4
| Jan low F = −7.9
| Feb low F = −5.0
| Mar low F = 8.5
| Apr low F = 22.7
| May low F = 34.5
| Jun low F = 45.3
| Jul low F = 49.2
| Aug low F = 47.2
| Sep low F = 40.8
| Oct low F = 29.7
| Nov low F = 17.2
| Dec low F = 2.5
| year low F = 23.8
| Jan avg record low F = -38.1
| Feb avg record low F = -35.5
| Mar avg record low F = -24.5
| Apr avg record low F = 2.7
| May avg record low F = 20.9
| Jun avg record low F = 28.3
| Jul avg record low F = 36.9
| Aug avg record low F = 33.5
| Sep avg record low F = 24.1
| Oct avg record low F = 13.9
| Nov avg record low F = -6.0
| Dec avg record low F = -26.7
| year avg record low F = -40.7
| Jan record low F = −57
| Feb record low F = −56
| Mar record low F = −44
| Apr record low F = −14
| May record low F = 8
| Jun record low F = 23
| Jul record low F = 27
| Aug record low F = 23
| Sep record low F = 17
| Oct record low F = 1
| Nov record low F = −25
| Dec record low F = −50
| year record low F = -57
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 0.82
| Feb precipitation inch = 0.68
| Mar precipitation inch = 1.22
| Apr precipitation inch = 1.98
| May precipitation inch = 2.99
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.35
| Jul precipitation inch = 3.62
| Aug precipitation inch = 3.45
| Sep precipitation inch = 3.86
| Oct precipitation inch = 2.91
| Nov precipitation inch = 1.11
| Dec precipitation inch = 1.15
| year precipitation inch = 28.14
| Jan snow depth inch = 15.5
| Feb snow depth inch = 20.3
| Mar snow depth inch = 18.6
| Apr snow depth inch = 9.1
| May snow depth inch = 0.4
| Jun snow depth inch = 0.0
| Jul snow depth inch = 0.0
| Aug snow depth inch = 0.0
| Sep snow depth inch = 0.0
| Oct snow depth inch = 0.9
| Nov snow depth inch = 4.7
| Dec snow depth inch = 11.4
| year snow depth inch = 21.9
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 7.8
| Feb precipitation days = 6.9
| Mar precipitation days = 6.6
| Apr precipitation days = 7.4
| May precipitation days = 11.7
| Jun precipitation days = 13.0
| Jul precipitation days = 10.6
| Aug precipitation days = 9.5
| Sep precipitation days = 10.9
| Oct precipitation days = 11.9
| Nov precipitation days = 10.1
| Dec precipitation days = 10.0
| year precipitation days = 116.4
|Jan snow inch = 13.2
|Feb snow inch = 11.5
|Mar snow inch = 8.0
|Apr snow inch = 4.4
|May snow inch = 0.3
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 1.4
|Nov snow inch = 7.3
|Dec snow inch = 15.5
|year snow inch =
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 8.3
|Feb snow days = 6.9
|Mar snow days = 4.3
|Apr snow days = 2.0
|May snow days = 0.3
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 1.2
|Nov snow days = 7.0
|Dec snow days = 9.6
| source 1 = NOAA (mean maxima/minima, snow/snowdays/snow depth 2006–2020)
{{cite web
| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=dlh
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = June 23, 2021}}
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00212576&format=pdf
| title = Station: Embarrass, MN
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = June 23, 2021}}
}}
Name origins
The name Embarrass was derived from the French word embarras, based on its meaning of "to hinder with obstacles or difficulties". It was given this name by the French fur traders who were some of the first Europeans to visit the area, and who found the narrow, shallow river very difficult to navigate, and named the river "Embarras".
See also
References
{{reflist}}
- Rand McNally Road Atlas – 2007 edition – Minnesota entry
- Official State of Minnesota Highway Map – 2011/2012 edition
- Mn/DOT map of Saint Louis County – Sheet 4 – 2011 edition
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140228213405/http://www.embarrass.org/ Embarrass.org] – Community website
{{St. Louis County, Minnesota}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Unincorporated communities in Minnesota
Category:Unincorporated communities in St. Louis County, Minnesota