Transcripts

GARY EICHTEN: Embarrass, Minnesota is just south of Tower, and it traditionally competes with Tower for the record temperature readings that we hear about. But Buzz Schultz is a Township supervisor in Embarrass, Minnesota. And he runs the Finnish Heritage Homestead B&B. And he joins us now. Good morning, sir.

BUZZ SCHULTZ: Good morning.

GARY EICHTEN: Folks in Embarrass a little bit embarrassed today that you didn't get the record that Tower beat you to it.

BUZZ SCHULTZ: We're not too embarrassed. We had some problems with our metering device. I was down there at 4:30 this morning. At 3:30 this morning, we registered 53 below. And we've had so much media coverage with the TV people and their cameras that I think they disturbed the probe.

And in about a quarter of four, the temperature started to fluctuate from the probe, which is really the sensor. And we were getting terrible readings. And on the bar thermometer, that kept dropping. But that is not our official taker, as we call it.

GARY EICHTEN: So the media may have sabotaged your run for the record.

BUZZ SCHULTZ: I don't know if you'd call it sabotage. It's just one of those things that everyone's so excited that we were possibly had the opportunity to break the record. And the coverage, we had people fly in from Chicago. We had Channel 11, Channel 3, 10, 13, and who knows who else, and all the radio people. It's just been fun. But we did not make the record.

GARY EICHTEN: Well, you have another shot tonight, I would think, though.

BUZZ SCHULTZ: Well, I don't think it'll get quite that cold. We did have the local people with their thermometers. Some reached 62 below. But, of course, they're all unofficial temperatures. But it was cold.

GARY EICHTEN: Somebody was saying that the people of Embarrass have been making igloos to sleep in.

BUZZ SCHULTZ: Well, we had several people. The night before last, we had one individual come down. And he actually just burrowed into the snow. And he remained there for the night. He did not freeze to death.

GARY EICHTEN: Was there any reason for that?

BUZZ SCHULTZ: I don't know if they're trying to test the system or just what. I think what they're trying to do is to promote more winter camping. And then we had a couple of people came over last night. They built an igloo. And then four other people came. And they went and set their tents up, and they slept out in their tents.

So it's exciting. We were going to send the psychiatrist up, but I didn't think that was quite proper.

[LAUGHTER]

GARY EICHTEN: Well, I suppose the rest of this day will be spent licking your wounds and hoping for another blast of cold weather, take another run at Tower.

BUZZ SCHULTZ: Well, would you wish to speak to our official weatherman? He just dropped over. Would you like to speak with Roland Fowler? He is our official weather taker.

GARY EICHTEN: Sure. Put Roland on the phone.

BUZZ SCHULTZ: I shall put him on. It's been a joy talking with you.

GARY EICHTEN: Thank you so much.

BUZZ SCHULTZ: Stay warm down there.

GARY EICHTEN: We will. That was Buzz Schultz, who is a Township supervisor in Embarrass. And Roland Fowler is with us now. Hi, Mr. Fowler.

ROLAND FOWLER: Well, hello.

GARY EICHTEN: What's the best you can report from Embarrass? Understand, you're having problems with your sensing devices.

ROLAND FOWLER: Well, I started out with three thermometers, and I actually lost two of them. I had a bar thermometer that the mercury separated in it, which is not unusual. I was at Deet River. I experienced the same thing. I guess I got about three of them. That's happened to over the time I've been taking the weather.

But anyway, the probe went erratic on my digital. Anyway, I congratulate Tower, but I found it very unusual that it would bottom out at 9:45, because at that time, my thermometer had actually raised 8 degrees. And I called the Union Station. And he verified the same thing.

I've been doing this for, well, seven years. And I marked down the time that it set the lowest. And I've never recorded a temperature after 8 o'clock that it's actually still dropping.

GARY EICHTEN: Do you think there's a need for an investigation of sorts here, sir?

ROLAND FOWLER: Well, I'm just saying, I find it very unusual, because at that point in time, the sun had came up considerably. Like I say, I congratulate them, but I find the temperature at that point of the day was something that I've never experienced.

GARY EICHTEN: Well, thank you, sir.

ROLAND FOWLER: You bet.

GARY EICHTEN: Appreciate the information. Roland Fowler, he handles the reporting duties, the weather reporting duties in Embarrass, Minnesota, which is just south of Tower, which today, reported the 60 degree below zero record setting temperature reading.

Of course, the schools have been closed today because of the bad weather. And that, I would suspect has--