The winter of 1995 to 1996 was one for the history books. January of that year saw the coldest temperatures ever recorded in Wisconsin, with the town of Couderay hitting  -55°F without windchill. Across the Northwoods, cars refused to start, pipes froze solid, and even the hardiest locals admitted the cold was unlike anything they'd experienced before. Schools and businesses shut down for days at a time, but even with the extreme temperatures, some braved the weather. Ice fishermen still ventured onto the lakes, and loggers continued their work, bundling up in layers and relying on sheer grit to get through each day. Though winters since have been cold, none have matched the brutal depths of January 1996.