Subzero weather is just part of winter life in KELOLAND, but is this season on track to being one of the worst?
We can safely say we've had some strong cold fronts this winter. The current round of cold is the 5th major cold snap of subzero weather of the season and most likely isn't the last.
We can size up the severity of winter in different ways, but looking at the number of subzero temperatures in the morning lows is one good measure of winter's intensity.
So far this season, Sioux Falls has dropped below zero 15 times including Monday. We most likely will have 2 more morning lows below zero this week, bringing the number to 17 days. The average winter since 1990 has recorded 22 days of subzero mornings.
Last year, we had 14 days of subzero lows, but the coldest low was 27 below. We've come close to that level, but the coldest this winter in Sioux Falls is 25 below zero.
Are we worse than normal? Yes. The mild start to December is the only reason we aren't in worse shape. With the last half of January and all of February and March ahead, we've got plenty of time to see more cold weather.