How rough has this winter been? Worse than usual, DNR's "Winter Misery Index" says
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- 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 2022-2023 has been worse than usual.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources keeps what they call a "Twin Cities Winter Misery Index." The higher the score the more miserable the winter. Points are calculated using snowfall totals.
According to DNR officials, 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.
So far this season, the misery index currently gave the Twin Cities a score of 117. The rolling seven-year average score is 92. And bear in mind, we still have more winter weeks (if not months) to go.
Still, there have been plenty more miserable winters in the recent-enough past. People need to only look back a to the winter of 2013-2014 during the infamous "Polar Vortex" to find a miserable season. That winter scored 207 on the misery index for the Twin Cities. More recently, the winter of 2018-2019 ended with a score of 157.
Three decades earlier was one the worst in the past century. The winter of 1983-84 scored 275 misery points. And then there was the winter of 1916-1917, which scored a massive 305 "misery points."
For more information on the index and to see how other seasons scored, click here.
