Coolest Day of the Year Overrun by North Dakota Warmth

Battling impending snowstorms sweeping across the American south, a 22-year-old from Tennessee drove cross-country in a moving truck, arriving to North Dakota’s plummeting  -24 degree temperature. Despite the cold outside, Emma Singleton wasn’t just blown away by the notorious wind, but also by the warmth and generosity of her new Grand Forks neighbors.

Singleton’s move began with a simple online submission. “I’m looking for a fresh start,” she typed into the glaring white boxes of a form on the State of North Dakota’s Find the Good Life website. “I have always dreamed of living out West or Northwest. I’m still doing research, however, I am confident that ND is where I want to be, based upon statistics of safety and quality of life. I look forward to hearing from someone.”

Singleton hit send and her message and resume landed in the digital lap of Sydney Helgeson, Talent Attraction Specialist at North Dakota’s Find the Good Life initiative, which was relaunched in 2022. Since its relaunch, the talent attraction effort has trained 55 individuals in local communities, creating a statewide network of people who will help potential relocators build connections, feel welcomed, and – most importantly – find and fill jobs in a state where there are approximately 20,000 open positions.

Singleton is mover 110 to come through the program, not including family members who’ve also made the trek alongside those who’ve filled out forms on the website.

Becca Cruger, Director of Economic Development and director of Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation’s Grand Forks is Cooler talent attraction initiative, is one such trained community champion. Singleton’s information was passed along to Cruger who hopped on a virtual call to learn more about what could help make Emma’s decision to choose a North Dakota Community easier.

Singleton holds a degree in psychology and spent the past several years in corrections-related positions. She told Cruger she was worried she wouldn’t be able to find a wealth of law enforcement careers in Grand Forks. Cruger sent her four open positions and Singleton began filling out applications. Two weeks, two scheduled interviews, and a few phone calls later, and Singleton landed a job as a corrections officer with Grand Forks County.

The job was quickly followed by an apartment lease in downtown Grand Forks, but what Singleton was that her move-in day would also bring -24 degree temperatures, an anomaly in the otherwise mild 2026 winter season thus far. With no ties to the area and no friends to lean on, unloading a moving truck alone was something she hadn’t considered. She once again reached out to Cruger at Greater Grand Forks: Way Cooler than You Think! who put up an online post calling for North Dakotan warmth.

Soon the post was shared and local support began to pour. A donor quickly replied that they were too old to help, but would offer to pay for pizza and coffee. A fraternity member said he’d try to help round up support. The Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals put out a plea for help.

And instead of a cold and lonely North Dakota move-in day, Singleton now understood the warmth and generosity of her new community. “We have southern hospitality,” said Singleton, “but this is on a whole other level.”