It’s been a few weeks since we’ve felt it, but we’re dealing with a taste of some cold arctic air today in the wake of a potent cold front that has swung through the Upper Mississippi Valley. Temperatures are slowly dropping off today and will continue to fall through the next 24 hours or so with some subzero readings likely by late tonight. Winds will continue to be a major factor in our weather for the next couple of days with gusts still occasionally reaching 25 to 30 miles per hour this afternoon and then in the 15 to 20 mile per hour range overnight tonight and through much of tomorrow, so be sure to plan on wearing the thick coat, hat, and mittens to avoid frostbite. We’ll have lows tonight near -5° for much of the area tonight with some spots as cold as -10° and wind chills will hover around -20. Sunshine will be the rule under our approaching broad area of arctic high pressure, but temperatures will be slow to improve. Highs Saturday will be in the teens with mid 20s in store for Sunday.
It will be cold Friday night, but we haven't had very many of these frigid nights this winter. We're far below the average for climate standards this winter.
The longer term still looks pretty mild with upper 20s and mid 30s in store for next week with just a couple of light snow or flurries in the area.
