Cooler but still well above normal this week

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

That’s what forecast models including The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Digital Forecast Database are cranking out for northern Minnesota by around 6 a.m. Friday. (See the map above.)

In the meantime, we’ve been dealing with 

 into Wednesday evening in southwestern Minnesota and parts of Iowa.

Our inbound arctic air mass blows into Minnesota Thursday with the core of the coldest air of winter passing overhead early Friday morning. The last time we hit minus 20 degrees in the Twin Cities was late January 2019.

Wind chills (apparent temperatures on exposed skin) will feel like at least minus 40 degrees in the Twin Cities and most of Minnesota Friday morning.

Actual air temperatures will approach minus 20 degrees in the Twin Cities, especially in the suburbs, with minus 30s to minus 40 degrees possible in the north.

NOAA’s new winter weather terminology details the 

 for Minnesota Thursday evening into Friday:

“High” temperatures Friday will stay well below zero across Minnesota.

We’ll recover a few degrees this weekend with highs near zero and into the single digits above zero in the south.

Overall, we could spend about 60 straight subzero hours in the south with the potential for more than 80 straight subzero hours in the north.

It will still feel colder than normal next week across Minnesota. 

Our normal high and low temperatures next week for the Twin Cities are 24 and 8 degrees.

Highs next week favor teens in the south. Colder as usual as you move north.

Right now, forecast models do not suggest a big thaw around the Upper Midwest for the next two weeks. But that can change. Hopefully quickly.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

An extreme arctic air mass pours south Thursday into Saturday. Temperatures will challenge the coldest readings in seven years around much of Minnesota.

Wind chill at minus 50? Coldest air in seven years Friday morning for much of Minnesota

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox