54° below zero in Embarrass, Minnnesota: 'It gets old after a while'

So said Christine Mackai, town clerk for Embarrass, a community of 691 people in northeast Minnesota, about yesterday's bone-chilling freeze.

Did she say "old" - or "cold?"

'Cause even to this native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, –54° seems a bit much.

That still isn't a record for Minnesota, though: that would be –60°, set February 2, 1996 in Tower, about 10 miles north of Embarrass.

Trish Rogers, a waitress at Four Corners, an Embarrass cafe and gas station, said, "Everybody left their cars running. It was pretty much breathtaking when you walked outside."

I have no reason to doubt her.

For joeheads who think in Celsius, –54°F = –48°C.

Still pretty cold, if you ask me.