Siberian Express: Subzero weekend ahead
Wind chills of 30 to 40 below this weekend across Minnesota
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All aboard the Siberian Express! The season’s coldest air mass so far blows into Minnesota this weekend.
The core of our inbound air mass reached into the minus 50s in the Yukon Territory this week. It won’t get that cold in Minnesota, but the colder nooks and crannies up north could hit the minus 30s by Sunday morning.
I won’t be shocked to see minus 35 to minus 40 degrees this weekend up around Embarrass and Tower in northeastern Minnesota.
Cold weather advisories for wind chill values to around minus 30 degrees cover most of Minnesota including the Twin Cities. Here’s the National Weather Service statement:
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Including the cities of Hastings, Mankato, Albert Lea, St Paul, Minneapolis, River Falls, Chippewa Falls, Owatonna, Rice Lake, Gaylord, Menomonie, Durand, Chaska, Hudson, Osceola, Stillwater, Ladysmith, Blaine, Red Wing, Faribault, St Peter, Shakopee, Chanhassen, Waseca, Victoria, Eau Claire, Center City, and Le Sueur
258 PM CST Fri Dec 12 2025
...COLD WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 10 AM CST SUNDAY...
* WHAT...Very cold wind chills as low as 35 below expected.
* WHERE...Portions of central, east central, south central, and southeast Minnesota and northwest and west central Wisconsin.
* WHEN...From midnight tonight to 10 AM CST Sunday. * IMPACTS...The cold wind chills as low as 30 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.
Extreme cold warnings for wind chills of minus 40 degrees cover most of northwestern Minnesota. Here’s more from the National Weather Service:
Including the cities of Roseau, Devils Lake, Langdon, Grafton, Mahnomen, Lankin, Lake Itasca, Cando, Bagley, Fosston, Park Rapids, Drayton, Red Lake Falls, Red Lake, Middle River, Cavalier, Bemidji, Warren, Thief River Falls, Hallock, and Newfolden
235 PM CST Fri Dec 12 2025
...EXTREME COLD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY... ...COLD WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON SATURDAY TO NOON CST SUNDAY...
* WHAT...For the Extreme Cold Warning, dangerously cold wind chills as low as 45 below expected. For the Cold Weather Advisory, very cold wind chills as low as 40 below expected.
* WHERE...Portions of north central and northwest Minnesota and northeast North Dakota.
* WHEN...For the Extreme Cold Warning, until noon CST Saturday. For the Cold Weather Advisory, from noon Saturday to noon CST Sunday.
* IMPACTS...The dangerously cold wind chills as low as 40 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.
Overnight low temperatures plunge to around minus 5 degrees in the Twin Cities and minus 30 in the northwest Saturday morning.
Temperatures Saturday will not crack the zero mark across most of Minnesota.
Saturday night brings the coldest air of this arctic outbreak with lows around minus 15 in the Twin Cities and more like minus 30 up north.
December thaw next week
Thankfully this arctic outbreak only lasts about two days.
Mild Pacific air blows into Minnesota by Tuesday. We’ll feel a temperature surge of between 55 and 70 degrees in Minnesota between Sunday morning and Tuesday afternoon in a span of around 60 hours!
So stay safe this weekend and be patient for much milder air by next week.
