Brief warm-up before cold Arctic air mass settles in for the weekend

A January thaw is on the way as temperatures warm into the 30s and 40s by the end of the week. Light precipitation is expected Wednesday, mainly north of Interstate 94. Then our temperatures take a dive into the weekend with the coldest air mass of the season.

During what is typically our coldest time of the year with an average high of 23 and low of 8, temperatures will warm into the 30s and 40s by the end of the week.

Sunshine will start our Wednesday with highs reaching the 20s in the east and the low 30s in western Minnesota.

A weather disturbance will move across northern Minnesota Wednesday afternoon into the evening. As the system moves southeast, eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin will be briefly affected. Light snow and freezing drizzle are possible mainly north of Interstate 94 during this time, with accumulations expected to remain light — around a half-inch or less.

Cloud cover will increase with the warmer temperatures, becoming partly to mostly cloudy by Friday.

Low temperatures will remain mild overnight into Thursday morning, with readings dropping into the 20s across the state and the teens on the Iron Range.

January thaw, then a cold air mass slams in

Our temperatures will jump into the 30s for Thursday and 40s may even make an appearance for southern Minnesota by Friday.

A surge of Arctic air will move south, impacting a large portion of the country through the weekend. These frigid temperatures will persist from Saturday through Tuesday, with highs struggling to rise above zero on Sunday and Monday.

Cold weather advisories are likely to be issued during this timeframe, with windchills ranging from 20 to 30 degrees below zero.

Bundle up!