Embarrass, Minnesota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Embarrass
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The Nelimark Homestead Museum in Embarrass
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| Motto(s):
"The Cold Spot"
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 Embarrass, Minnesota
Location in Minnesota
Embarrass, Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Saint Louis |
| Township | Embarrass Township |
| Elevation | 1,424 ft (434 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 30 |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
55732
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| Area code(s) | 218 |
| GNIS feature ID | 661211 |
Embarrass is a small, unincorporated community located in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, in the United States. An unincorporated community means it's a group of homes or businesses that isn't officially a town or city with its own local government.
This community is found on the Mesabi Iron Range, an area known for its iron ore. Embarrass is famous for being the coldest place in Minnesota. Its average yearly temperature is about 36.4 degrees Fahrenheit (2.4 degrees Celsius).
Where is Embarrass?
The community of Embarrass is located in the northeastern part of Minnesota. It's about 22 miles (35 km) northeast of the city of Virginia. It's also about 27 miles (43 km) southwest of Ely.
Embarrass is 12 miles (19 km) south of Tower and 86 miles (138 km) north of Duluth. Other nearby places include Aurora, Hoyt Lakes, Biwabik, and Babbitt.
The center of Embarrass is usually thought to be where Saint Louis County Roads 21, 362 (Waisanen Road), and 615 (Salo Road) meet. The Embarrass River flows right through the community. The Pike River is also close by.
Main roads in the Embarrass area include State Highway 135, Saint Louis County Highway 21, and County Road 26.
Embarrass's Climate: The Cold Spot
Embarrass has a type of climate called a humid continental climate. It's very close to a subarctic climate, which means it has short, warm summers and very long, extremely cold winters. This climate is quite similar to what you'd find in Siberia. Even on warm summer days, the nights stay cool.
As mentioned, Embarrass is the coldest place in Minnesota, with an average yearly temperature of 36.4 degrees Fahrenheit (2.4 degrees Celsius). During the winter of 2000–2001, the temperature in Embarrass stayed below freezing from November 24 to March 1. The highest temperature during that winter (December to February) was only 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) on January 10. The coldest month ever recorded in Embarrass (since 1995) was January 2014, with an average temperature of -8.3 degrees Fahrenheit (-22.4 degrees Celsius).
In January 2005, Embarrass had a very low temperature of -54 degrees Fahrenheit (-48 degrees Celsius). An unofficial record low temperature of -64 degrees Fahrenheit (-53 degrees Celsius) was reached in February 1996. This measurement was checked and found to be accurate. However, it's not an official record because it wasn't taken at a National Weather Service Cooperative Site. The official record low temperature for Minnesota is -60 degrees Fahrenheit (-51 degrees Celsius). This was recorded near Tower on February 2, 1996.
On average, the coldest daytime high temperature in Embarrass is -11 degrees Fahrenheit (-24 degrees Celsius). The lowest daily high ever recorded was -29 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 degrees Celsius) during the cold wave in 1996. The warmest night of the year usually averages 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius). The warmest low temperature ever recorded was 69 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius).
The first day of frost in Embarrass is usually around August 31, and the last day is around June 20. This means Embarrass has a very short growing season for plants, lasting only about 72 days. For comparison, the growing season in Fairbanks, Alaska, is about 100 days, even though Fairbanks can be colder overall.
| Climate data for Embarrass, Minnesota (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1994–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 44 (7) |
55 (13) |
74 (23) |
78 (26) |
88 (31) |
96 (36) |
94 (34) |
92 (33) |
90 (32) |
84 (29) |
72 (22) |
46 (8) |
96 (36) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 35.1 (1.7) |
38.9 (3.8) |
55.9 (13.3) |
68.6 (20.3) |
80.7 (27.1) |
83.5 (28.6) |
87.3 (30.7) |
85.1 (29.5) |
80.1 (26.7) |
69.8 (21.0) |
51.7 (10.9) |
37.9 (3.3) |
88.3 (31.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 16.8 (−8.4) |
22.7 (−5.2) |
36.0 (2.2) |
49.8 (9.9) |
63.7 (17.6) |
72.7 (22.6) |
77.7 (25.4) |
75.5 (24.2) |
66.1 (18.9) |
50.6 (10.3) |
34.4 (1.3) |
21.8 (−5.7) |
49.0 (9.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 4.7 (−15.2) |
8.9 (−12.8) |
22.2 (−5.4) |
36.2 (2.3) |
49.1 (9.5) |
59.0 (15.0) |
63.5 (17.5) |
61.4 (16.3) |
53.4 (11.9) |
40.1 (4.5) |
25.8 (−3.4) |
12.1 (−11.1) |
36.4 (2.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −7.3 (−21.8) |
−5 (−21) |
8.5 (−13.1) |
22.7 (−5.2) |
34.5 (1.4) |
45.3 (7.4) |
49.2 (9.6) |
47.2 (8.4) |
40.8 (4.9) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
17.2 (−8.2) |
2.5 (−16.4) |
23.8 (−4.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −38.1 (−38.9) |
−35.5 (−37.5) |
−24.5 (−31.4) |
2.7 (−16.3) |
20.9 (−6.2) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
36.9 (2.7) |
33.5 (0.8) |
24.1 (−4.4) |
13.9 (−10.1) |
−6.0 (−21.1) |
−26.7 (−32.6) |
−40.7 (−40.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −57 (−49) |
−56 (−49) |
−44 (−42) |
−14 (−26) |
8 (−13) |
23 (−5) |
27 (−3) |
23 (−5) |
17 (−8) |
1 (−17) |
−25 (−32) |
−45 (−43) |
−57 (−49) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.82 (21) |
0.68 (17) |
1.22 (31) |
1.98 (50) |
2.99 (76) |
4.35 (110) |
3.62 (92) |
3.45 (88) |
3.86 (98) |
2.91 (74) |
1.11 (28) |
1.15 (29) |
28.14 (715) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 13.2 (34) |
11.5 (29) |
8.0 (20) |
4.4 (11) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.4 (3.6) |
7.3 (19) |
15.5 (39) |
61.6 (156.36) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 15.5 (39) |
20.3 (52) |
18.6 (47) |
9.1 (23) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.9 (2.3) |
4.7 (12) |
11.4 (29) |
21.9 (56) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.8 | 6.9 | 6.6 | 7.4 | 11.7 | 13.0 | 10.6 | 9.5 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 10.1 | 10.0 | 116.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 8.3 | 6.9 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 7.0 | 9.6 | 39.6 |
| Source: NOAA (mean maxima/minima, snow/snowdays/snow depth 2006–2020) | |||||||||||||
How Embarrass Got Its Name
The name Embarrass comes from the French word embarras. This word means "to block with obstacles or difficulties."
French fur traders were some of the first Europeans to explore this area. They found the local river, now called the Embarrass River, very hard to travel on. It was narrow and shallow, making it difficult for their boats. Because of these difficulties, they named the river "Embarras," and the community later took its name from the river.
