Arctic now, milder air returns
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Cold enough for ya? For most Minnesotans the answer is yes. We're used to dealing with cold here. But this is certainly serious cold.
Wind chill advisories and warnings continue into Wednesday. Wind chills continue to hover near -40 in western Minnesota in the core of the coldest air. The maps look the same overnight as they did Monday morning.
Effects of wind chill
We all know wind chill is measured as it impacts your exposed skin. But did you know that it also makes things like your car or water pipes cool down faster? Here's how that happens from NOAA's wind chill FAQ's.
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The only effect wind chill has on inanimate objects, such as car radiators and water pipes, is to shorten the amount of time for the object to cool. The inanimate object will not cool below the actual air temperature. For example, if the temperature outside is -5°F and the wind chill temperature is -31°F, then your car's radiator will not drop lower than -5°F.
Midweek warming trend
Westerly winds begin to blow Wednesday. Temperature respond accordingly. Friday looks like the warmest day.
Sunday snow chance: Shifting south?
Several of the latest model runs show a jog south in Sunday's snow system. This will likely change again, but the latest GFS run favors the snow zone in southeast Minnesota, northern Iowa, and Wisconsin. The Euro and Canadian models keep some snow over the Twin Cities Sunday into Monday. Here's the GFS.
Confidence is high that a significant snow storm will occur in the Upper Midwest Sunday. Confidence is low as to what track the storm will take, and where the heavy snow will set up. Stay tuned.
Last of the sub-zero cold for a while?
It is highly likely that we'll get more sub-zero cold waves across Minnesota in February. And the first week of March often seems to feature one more sub-zero night in the Twin Cities. But looking at the maps through the end of January it seems we get a break from the persistent sub-zero cold. This could morph into a more classic Minnesota winter pattern. More consistent highs in the 20s (above zero) may make for some great outdoor activities after this week's cold snap.