Inside coldest city in the US which recorded a bone-chilling temperature of -51C
Tucked away in northeastern Minnesota lies one of the coolest cities in the US. Not because of its style or scene, but for its bone-chilling temperatures.
The city of Tower has recorded some impressively low temperatures in past years. Its lowest recorded temperature was on February 2, 1996, where thermometers read minus 60 Fahrenheit (-51C).
That reading also set a record low for the entire state. Data from WorldClimate.com shows this to have been an anomaly, with the average low being around 1F (-17C) in December and the high being around 78F (25.5C) in July.
Chilly temperatures and a remote location mean that the former mining town is sparsely populated, with just over 400 residents calling it home. Lying on the shore of Lake Vermillion, the Lake Vermillion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park is one of the biggest attractions in the area.
Tower lies on Lake Vermillion (Getty Images)It boasts a network of picturesque hiking trails as well as the iron mine - which opened in 1884 and closed in 1962. The mine was actually used as an underground physics laboratory after a physicist from the University of Minnesota took a tour and saw the potential of the cavernous space.
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
The lab was the "leading deep underground science and engineering laboratory in the US for decades", according to its website. With "scientists around the world" working at the site for 35 years "trying to answer basic questions about the universe in which we live".
Nowadays, the lab, which lies 2,341 feet below the surface, is in the process of being decommissioned as existing experiments finish and new projects go into "new, deeper facilities". Sadly, this means lab tours are no longer being offered.
Tower has a tiny population of around 400 people (Getty Images/iStockphoto)One of the most unique features of the lab is a giant mural on one wall, measuring 25 feet by 60 feet. It shows people important to the development of both physics and the mining industry.
The painting was completed by Joseph Gianetti over the course of several months and required 25 gallons of primer and 50 gallons of paint. According to the lab, "the extreme texture of the wall added to the difficulty of the project."
Visitors heading to Twoer who are after more of a thrill are directed toward the Fortune Bay Casino, located close to the lake. It features a 172-room resort, an RV park, a marina, a golf course, and a selection of different dining options.
If you're after more of a cultural experience, there are two museums in the tiny city. They are the Bois Forte Heritage Center, which is dedicated to the Boise Forte tribe or 'band', and the Tower-Soudan Historical Society, which is a museum inside an old depot with trains and a steam locomotive on display.
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