A sample of $1.53\times {10}^9$ cosmic-ray-induced single muon events has been recorded at 225 m water equivalent using the MINOS near detector. The underground muon rate is observed to be highly correlated with the effective atmospheric temperature. The coefficient ${\alpha }_T$, relating the change in the muon rate to the change in the vertical effective temperature, is determined to be $0.428\pm 0.003(\text{stat}.)\pm 0.059(\text{syst}.)$. An alternative description is provided by the weighted effective temperature, introduced to account for the differences in the temperature profile and muon flux as a function of zenith angle. Using the latter estimation of temperature, the coefficient is determined to be $0.352\pm 0.003(\text{stat}.)\pm 0.046(\text{syst}.)$.

• Received 20 June 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.90.012010