Bitter cold easing off later today

-19 below was the official low temperature in the Twin Cities this morning – the coldest temperature since February 14, 2021. Temperatures this afternoon will slowly start climbing and should be up around 6 degrees above zero by 5 p.m. with southwest winds at 5-15 mph producing wind-chills around -5 below. Skies will be sunny into the early afternoon then become cloudy in the late afternoon with snow flurries possible after 6 p.m. Tonight brings cloudy skies with flurries or light snow and any snow accumulation will just be a dusting. Temperatures will hold steady and rise to 15 degrees by 8 a.m. Wednesday morning with southwest winds at 10-15 mph producing wind-chills around 0.

Cloudy with flurries or light snow Wednesday morning and any accumulation will again be just a dusting. It will then then become partly cloudy in the afternoon with highs in the mid to upper 20s and winds from the west-northwest at 10-15 mph. Clear and cold on Wednesday, with lows near 7 degrees by Thursday morning and northwest winds at 5-15 mph.

Sunny on Thursday with light winds from the Northwest at 5-10 mph and highs in the mid-teens (average high is 23 degrees). Clear Thursday night with lows near 2 degrees by Friday morning.

Cloud and sun mix on Friday with flurries or light snow possible in the late afternoon and evening with maybe a dusting. Highs Friday in the mid 20s and lows by Saturday in the low 20s.

Cloud and sun mix on Saturday with flurries in the evening. Winds will be breezy Saturday afternoon from the west at 10-20 mph with highs in the upper 20s to near 30 degrees then lows by Sunday in the mid-teens. Sunday will be partly cloudy with lighter winds and highs in the low to mid 20s and lows in the low teens by Monday morning.

Warmer conditions the last week of January with highs in the low to mid 30s on Monday and sunny skies then upper 30s to near 40 degrees next Tuesday with partly cloudy skies. JONATHAN YUHAS