Arctic chill lingers; afternoon/evening snow showers
What a difference a day makes!
Winds are very light Thursday morning in southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area, so our morning wind chills aren't as severe as Wednesday.
The wind chill warning will expire at 9 a.m. for us. Our metro area temps are starting out in the 20s below zero.
There are lower temperatures and stronger winds in northern Minnesota, so the wind chill warning continues there until 11 a.m.:
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URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Duluth MN
310 AM CST Thu Jan 31 2019
...EXTREMELY COLD WIND CHILLS THROUGH THIS MORNING...
.Extremely cold Arctic air and wind chills will continue across
the Northland through 11 AM this morning. Wind chill values of 40
to 60 below zero are expected. Conditions will improve late this
morning and afternoon.
MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001-311700-
/O.CON.KDLH.WC.W.0006.000000T0000Z-190131T1700Z/
Koochiching-North St. Louis-Northern Cook and Lake-North Itasca-
Central St. Louis-Southern Lake-Southern Cook-North Cass-
South Itasca-South Cass-Crow Wing-Northern Aitkin-South Aitkin-
Carlton and South St. Louis-Pine-Douglas-
Including the cities of International Falls, Ely, Isabella,
Bigfork, Hibbing, Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Grand Marais, Walker,
Grand Rapids, Pine River, Brainerd, Hill City, Aitkin, Duluth,
Pine City, Hinckley, and Superior
310 AM CST Thu Jan 31 2019
...WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM CST THIS
MORNING...
* WHAT...Dangerously cold wind chills expected. Wind chills as low
as 60 below zero with temperatures in the 30 below zero to 45
below zero range.
* WHERE...Portions of northwest Wisconsin and east central,
north central and northeast Minnesota.
* WHEN...Until 11 AM CST Thursday.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The dangerously cold wind chills could
cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 5 minutes.
Hypothermia can develop very quickly.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A Wind Chill Warning is issued when the combination of wind and
very cold air create dangerous wind chills. Hypothermia can set
in quickly, which may lead to death, and frostbite can develop
within minutes. Take action to protect yourself from the cold.
Cover up, dress warmly and in layers, and limit your time
outdoors. Travel with extra blankets or additional clothing in
case of vehicle trouble.
Highs Thursday will be in the single digits below zero in most areas:
Snow chance this afternoon
As the coldest air shifts eastward Thursday afternoon and evening, there will be enough moisture for some light snow.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential snow pattern for Thursday and Thursday evening:
The color chart to the right of the loop refers to the strength of the signal that returns to the radar, not to the amount of snow.
As always, updated weather information can be heard on the Minnesota Public Radio Network, and you’ll also see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.
Weekend warmth
Metro area highs are expected to reach the mid 30s on Saturday. We're shooting for 40s in the metro area and southeastern Minnesota on Sunday:
Rare wind chills
Park Rapids reported a wind chill of minus 65 Wednesday morning, Flag Island in Minnesota’s Northwest Angle saw a wind chill of minus 64. The lowest wind chill at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Wednesday was minus 53, but it was minus 55 at 11 p.m. on Tuesday.
Based on Twin Cities wind chill data provided by the Minnesota State Climatology Office, I found only nine days with official wind chills colder than 55 below zero:
Minus 67, Jan. 22, 1936
Minus 63, Jan. 1, 1924
Minus 61, Jan. 13, 1916
Minus 59, Jan. 5, 1912
Minus 59, Feb. 9, 1933
Minus 57, Jan. 10, 1982
Minus 56, Jan. 12, 1916
Minus 56, Dec. 24, 1983
Minus 56, Jan. 19, 1985
All values have been converted to the new wind chill formula that’s been in use since 2001.
This Updraft blog will be updated around midmorning Thursday.