This morning in the Twin Cities was the 20th day of a low temperature falling below zero. Last winter (2023/2024), the Twin Cities had six days below zero and average days below zero is 15. Record for below zero days in the Twin Cities is 68 days in the winter of 1874/1875. The forecast is another 5 days below zero in the time period from Feb. 12-19. Temperatures will stay above zero Febr. 14-15, but the increased temperatures will come along with clouds and some light snow.

Mainly cloudy in the Twin Cities today with flurries and light snow between now and 7 p.m. with light dusting of snow possible in the suburbs south of the Minnesota River in Scott and Dakota Counties and Pierce County in Wisconsin including the cities of Prior Lake, Savage, Burnsville, Lakeville, Eagan, Rosemount, Hastings, Prescott and River Falls. Farther south, 1-3″ of snow possible along a line from Mankato to Rochester to Winona and points south to the Iowa border. Farther south +6″ of snow will fall from Des Moines, Iowa to Chicago and north into southern Wisconsin including Madison and Milwaukee.

FORECAST FIRST ALERT for Thursday morning for bitter cold wind-chills of -25 to -30 below and temperatures near -10 below. Winds Thursday morning will be from the northwest at 5-15 mph then west-southwest at 5-10 mph Thursday afternoon with highs near 4 degrees and afternoon wind-chills of -10 to -15 below. Sunny on Thursday then cloudy Thursday night with temperatures holding steady around 2 degrees by 7 a.m. Friday.

Cloudy on Friday with snow developing in the late morning hours and tapering to flurries early Saturday morning. Highs Friday not as cold in the low to mid 20s then lows in the low to mid-teens by Saturday morning. Snowfall of 1-2″ in the Twin Cities from Friday afternoon into early Saturday morning and 2″ to 4″ of snowfall in western Wisconsin.

Upcoming weekend into next week will continue to be very cold with subzero morning temperatures through Thursday, Feb. 20. Warmer conditions will develop Friday, Feb. 21 and temperatures between 25-40 degrees should return the last week of February. JONATHAN YUHAS