FORECAST FIRST ALERT TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW: Sunshine today in the Twin Cities into the early afternoon hours then becoming cloudy with highs in the low to mid 20s and light west winds at 5-10 mph. Cloudy tonight with flurries after 7 p.m. then accumulating snow moving into the area after 10 p.m. and continuing until 5 p.m. Saturday with 3-7″ of snow with most areas in the Twin Cities averaging about 4″ by the time the snow ends early Saturday evening. The snow will be a dry and light in weight fluffy consistency and easy to shovel – winds tonight into Saturday morning will be from the east-northeast at 5-10 mph and lows will be in the upper teens – blowing and drifting snow not expected as winds will remain light tonight and Saturday.

Cloudy Saturday with periods of snow ending by 5 p.m. then decreasing clouds late Saturday evening. Highs Saturday in the low 20s with north winds at 5-10 mph. Clear and colder Saturday night with lows around zero by Sunday morning with wind-chills Sunday morning near -10 below.

Sunny and cold on Sunday with northwest Winds at 5-15 mph and afternoon highs in the mid-teens then lows around -2 below by Monday morning. Sunny on Monday and cold with increasing clouds and light snow Monday night into Tuesday morning with up to 1″ of snow possible. Highs Monday near 12 degrees with lows near -3 below by Tuesday morning.

It will be cold next week especially Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with highs between 5-10 degrees with mainly sunny skies and lows from -5 to -15 below. Next chance for light snow is next Friday, Feb. 14. Colder than average temperatures expected until at least Feb. 21. Average highs now are in the upper 20s and low 30s after Feb. 18. JONATHAN YUHAS