Arctic air, strong winds and more snow headed toward Twin Cities

Get ready for some very cold weather.

KSTP Chief Meteorologist Dave Dahl said Arctic air will move into the northwestern portion of the state early Wednesday and move toward the Twin Cities during the afternoon.

The good news is the cold air will last only two days, but you’ll likely have had enough of it by then.

Low temps will drop below zero with high temps Thursday at about 3 degrees, Dahl said.

That cold front will also have just enough moisture to produce some snow, although a coating to an inch or two is all that’s expected to fall in Minnesota. Dahl said the cold and wind will be much worse than the snow.

Winds could gust as high as 40-50 mph, which will cause blowing snow and drifting and, subsequently, poor driving conditions Wednesday night into Thursday. Dahl said the worst conditions could be in the western part of the state, where the National Weather Service has already issued a Winter Storm Watch in anticipation of what’s to come.