Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

The Sunday high temperature at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was 33 degrees. That’s 8 degrees warmer than our average Jan. 31 high in the Twin Cities.

Mild temps will stay with us as we start February. Twin Cities metro area highs will flirt with 30 degrees on Monday, with lower 30s in southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin:

Winds will be light on Monday, with gusts under 10 mph in most locations:

Plotted wind gusts are in knots, with 8 knots equal to about 9 mph. Higher wind gusts are expected in southwestern Minnesota.

Back to temperatures, Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to be around 30 degrees on Tuesday, followed by mid 30s Wednesday. We could touch 30 degrees Thursday morning, with temps falling through the 20s Thursday afternoon. It’ll be much colder on Friday, with metro area highs in the mid-teens.  Our Twin Cities high temp on Saturday may be around 10 to 12 degrees, followed by single-digit highs next Sunday. I should also mention that the Twin Cities metro area will have below-zero low temps Friday through Sunday.

Cold air may linger into the following week. The NWS Climate Prediction Center shows a strong tendency for below-normal temps in Minnesota and Wisconsin from Feb. 6 to Feb 10:

We’re overdue for a cold snap.  Our official Twin Cities temperature (at MSP airport) didn’t drop to zero, or below zero, at any time this January. According to the National Weather Service, there have only been two other Januarys in Twin Cities weather records without a low temp of zero or colder; Jan. of 1990 and Jan. of 2006.

NOAA’s Global Forecast System (GFS) model shows some snow spreading across Minnesota and Wisconsin Wednesday night into Thursday:

There may be some rain or a rain/snow mix in southern Minnesota when the precipitation begins. Check forecast updates over the next few days.

You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Ron Trenda

Author

If you like mild (for early Feb.) temps, you’ll like the forecast for the next few days. Cold weather fans will smile when they see the Friday through Sunday forecast. We have details on that, plus a look at our next chance of snow.

Mild start to the week; much colder on Friday

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox