Cold weekend coming up….may be our last….

The forecast for the weekend favors very cold temperatures around the state with daytime highs below zero F in many places, and just in the single digits even in the southern sections and urban heat islands. Climatology suggests that around the second week of February is often the last episode of arctic air from the high latitudes. Granted even in the Twin Cities record we can find occasions when the daytime high remains at zero F or below all day on dates in late February (the 21st in 1963 and the 24th in 1967), and even on March 1st (1962). But these are rare indeed. We can take comfort in two climatological facts: daytime highs climb into the 25 to 40 degree F range with great frequency during the second half of February; and daylength and the sun's elevation angle begin to change much more with each passing day. Something to look forward to.........as most Minnesotans begin to anticipate spring.