Today brings a real taste of winter weather to the Twin Cities and surrounding areas with periods of light snow, gusty cold west winds at 15-25 mph and afternoon temperatures in the low to mid 30s with wind-chills in the mid 20s. Snow accumulations will range around 1″ or less by this evening in the Twin Cities with higher +2″ amounts along a line from Brainerd to St. Cloud to Marshall and points west into the eastern Dakotas. Light snow eventually tapers to flurries later this evening in the Twin Cities and it will be cold and windy with northwest winds at 15-25 mph and lows in the upper 20s with wind-chills in the upper teens.

Thursday brings some flurries in the morning otherwise partly to mostly cloudy with cold gusty northwest winds at 15-25 mph and highs near 40 degrees but feeling more like the low 30s with the gusty winds. Partly to mostly cloudy and windy with northwest winds at 10-20 mph and lows in the low 30s with wind-chills in the low 20s.

Upcoming weekend brings mainly cloudy skies and breezy conditions on Friday with highs in the upper 30s then lighter winds and mainly cloudy skies Saturday with highs in the upper 30s. Cloudy on Sunday with sprinkles possible in the morning and highs in the low 40s. JONATHAN YUHAS