Dangerous cold starts to move out; warmer by evening

Wednesday afternoon temps
Temperatures by late Wednesday afternoon
College of DuPage Weather

Dangerously cold wind chills dominated much of the eastern half of Minnesota early Wednesday. Wind chills are mainly in the minus 30s with even a few 40 below zero readings at times. We warm up quickly Wednesday with blustery south winds.

Arctic cold retreating

It’s still very cold early Wednesday. On the Iron Range, temperatures dropped to as cold as 36 below zero in Hibbing about 2 a.m. before clouds moved in.

The Twin Cities officially bottomed out at 16 below zero, just shy of the minus 17 we reached on Jan. 7, our coldest low of this winter season. Wind chills, even in the Twin Cities were in the 30s below zero. The wind chill advisory is in effect until 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Temps early Wednesday
Temperatures early Wednesday morning
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, via pivotal weather

Winds are already picking up from the south Wednesday with some clouds developing as warmer air moves up and over our dome of arctic cold air. The cold is in retreat and much milder air is streaming in behind it.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

While those strong south winds will bring in the milder air, it will still feel pretty chilly into Wednesday afternoon. Winds will be as high as 20 mph from the south, keeping wind chills below zero for most until midafternoon Wednesday.

Wind speeds noon Wednesday
Wind speed and direction 12 p.m. Wednesday
NOAA, via pivotal weather

By late afternoon, early evening Wednesday, temperatures will be 30 to 40 degrees warmer than what we saw just before sunrise Wednesday. Highs will be near 20 in the east and even near 30 degrees in far western Minnesota.

highs Wednesday
High temperatures late Wednesday
National Weather Service

We will see temperatures continue to rise overnight Wednesday into Thursday. By early Thursday morning, temperatures will be well into the 20s, even near 30 in southern Minnesota ahead of another shot of colder air.

The next round of cold air will only last about 36 hours and it is not the brutal arctic air. With that said, we will drop below zero again early Friday morning with highs just in the lower teens in the south, single digits in northern Minnesota.

We will already be back into the 20s for the weekend and remain near normal or above through Tuesday.

Forecast temperature anomalies
Forecast temperature anomalies Wednesday through Tuesday
College of DuPage Weather

We could even be near or above freezing by Monday afternoon for much of southern Minnesota.

Monday highs
Forecast high temperatures Monday
NOAA, via pivotal weather

Then, there are signs of another cold blast late next week. Don’t count out the cold just yet. February is just barely upon us.

Temperature loop next week
Forecast loop of temperatures next Monday to next Saturday (Jan. 31- Feb. 5)
College of DuPage Weather