Only 1 Minnesota city left in 'Toughest Weather' tournament

Stuck in the death throes of an achingly long Minnesota winter, it can be easy to forget that other states have nasty weather, too.

But with the Weather Channel's "Toughest Weather City" tournament underway – an annual contest that pits 64 cities against each other in an NCAA basketball-like bracket – there is only one Minnesota town left among the remaining 16 contenders. International Falls beat out Grand Rapids, Mich., and Duluth, Minn., to advance to the Sweet 16 round.

International Falls is now matched up against Green Bay in the Midwest region. Voting for the round began Tuesday.

In other earlier action, Minneapolis beat Des Moines in its first-round matchup, but Minnesota's largest city lost to Marquette, Mich.

Elsewhere in the region, Fargo is now looking to defend its 2012 title against Marquette.

Among the other remaining contenters:

South region:
New Orleans
Lubbock, Texas
Dallas
Brownsville, Texas

West:
Denver
Fairbanks, Alaska
Juneau, Alaska
Great Falls, Mont.

Northeast:
Buffalo, N.Y.
Cleveland
Syracuse, N.Y.
Caribou, Maine