Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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Wind chills will be frigid through the day Friday as high temperatures won’t get past the low to mid teens in southern Minnesota and barely reach zero in some places up north. Temps drop to subzero statewide overnight into Saturday. 

A rapid warm up starts Sunday. The entire upper level pattern shifts to an overall warmer one all of next week.

We’ve added the ingredient of wind to our cold temperatures Friday and that’s been creating wind chills already near 30 below zero at times in northwest Minnesota. Winds will howl through the day Friday from the west-northwest at 10-20 mph with gusts of 30 mph to 40 mph in the northwest.

High temperatures Friday will be a good 25 degrees colder than normal with some very late season cold air. 

The sharp cold front will create conditions conducive for potential snow squalls in northeastern Minnesota. These snow showers are convective in nature. Like a thunderstorm, they develop with instability and rapidly cooling aloft. 

In northwestern Minnesota, the light snow will blow with 40 mph gusts as well. Totals will generally be light, but in some of those snow squalls a quick one-half inch is possible.

Overnight Friday night into early Saturday we’ll see subzero temperatures for most of Minnesota. It’s the latest we’ve dropped below zero in a season in the Twin Cities since March 12, 2009. 

The breeze will be enough to create wind chills in the teens below zero to near 30 below zero early Saturday morning.

High temperatures Saturday afternoon will already be near 30 in the south and 20 north, with increasing clouds in northern Minnesota.

Another clipper system moves in late Saturday bringing snowfall mainly to northern Minnesota by Saturday evening and overnight. Some places could see up to 1 or 2 inches of snow.

Things really start to improve Sunday already. We’ll see highs in the 40s south and 30s north.

We don’t stop there, however. The entire upper-level pattern shifts to an overall warmer one all of next week, with our first 50 degree reading likely in the Twin Cities Tuesday and even a chance at 60 Wednesday afternoon. 

Other than a possibility of rain-snow slush early Monday, most of next week looks fairly quiet as well. 

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Sven Sundgaard

Author

Wind chills will be frigid through the day Friday as high temperatures won’t get past the low to mid teens in southern Minnesota and barely reach zero in some places up north. Temps drop to subzero statewide overnight into Saturday. A rapid warm up starts Sunday. 

It’s another chilly morning early Friday, but the return of the wind is what’s making it really feel cooler. Winds are near 20 mph for much of Minnesota, creating wind chills that are subzero nearly statewide. In fact, northwest Minnesota has wind chills near 30 below zero.

Last bitter cold night of winter? First 60 possible next week

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