Icy arctic Friday, thaw one week away

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blizzard

Definition: A severe weather condition characterized by high winds and reduced visibilities due to falling or blowing snow. The U.S. National Weather Service specifies sustained wind or frequent gusts of 16 m per second (30 kt or 35 mi per hour) or greater, accompanied by falling and/or blowing snow, frequently reducing visibility to less than 400 m (0.25 mi) for 3 hours or longer.

The glossary of the American Meteorological Society is the meteorologist's bible when it comes to weather terms. It pretty much fits the definition of Minnesota's recent weather to a T as arctic air pours south and whips up a snowy haze as Friday of the coldest week of winter finally arrives.

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 Weather headlines for Friday January 9th, 2015

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Twin Cities NWS

Blizzard rage

You know it's bad in Minnesota's open country when visibility reaches .25 mi in blowing snow at MSP Airport in the relatively sheltered metro confines. Winds gusting to near 50 mph whip up fresh fallen loose powder into snow globe worthy scenes. Travel is not a good idea in much of western and southern Minnesota well into Friday.

Here's the pointed National Weather Service warning on the raging blizzard.

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GRANITE FALLS...OLIVIA...GAYLORD...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. PETER...LE SUEUR...ST. JAMES...MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...ALBERT LEA

351 PM CST THU JAN 8 2015

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM CST FRIDAY......WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM FRIDAY TO NOON CST SATURDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED A WIND CHILL ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM FRIDAY TO NOON CST SATURDAY.

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM CST FRIDAY.

* TIMING...WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH WHITEOUT CONDITIONS CONTINUING THIS EVENING.

* MAIN IMPACT...NORTHWEST 30 TO 35 MPH WITH FREQUENT GUSTS TO 50 MPH LEADING TO BLOWING SNOW AND VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS.

* OTHER IMPACTS...WIND CHILLS FALLING TO 25 TO 30 BELOW LATE TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING.

Check out (lack of) visibility reports from the Twin Cities NWS office. Zero visibility has been reported at many locations in southern Minensota including Madison, St. James, Fairmont and Waseca. Theres just noting to stop 40 mph winds from getting our fresh fluffy snow airborne well into Friday.

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Twin Cities NWS

The Sioux falls NWS captures the essence of the dangerous "white out" conditions.

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Arctic for now 

Arctic air remains in control as we hit the weekend as the next massive arctic high pressure cell dives south on the maps.

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NOAA

The most bitter cold and wind eases slightly from Friday's levels, but a few more sub-zero nights will leave no doubt it's January in Minnesota.

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Weatherspark

January thaw 1 week away

I'm still confident about a January thaw arriving late next week into the weekend of January 17-18. Right now the European model is the most aggressive with the warm up.

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Weatherspark

Highs near 40 a week from Saturday?

Stay tuned.