FORECAST FIRST ALERT TODAY/TONIGHT: Snow will fall in the Twin Cities today after 2 p.m. until about 2 a.m. Saturday with snow accumulations ranging from 1″ in the west Metro to 2″ in most of the metro and 3-4″ near the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. Snow will likely cause slower than average driving conditions for the Friday evening rush hour. Temperatures today will be in the low to mid 20s with southeast winds at 5-15 mph producing wind-chills of 10-15 degrees. Cloudy with snow tapering to flurries early Saturday morning with lows near 20 degrees and winds from the Northeast 5-15 mph producing wind-chills of 5- 10 degrees.

Partly to mostly cloudy Saturday morning with flurries then sunny and breezy Saturday afternoon with temperatures falling from 20 degrees at 1 p.m. to 15 degrees by the 5:42 p.m. sunset Saturday with wind-chills around 5 degrees Saturday morning to below 0 by sunset Saturday. Winds on Saturday will be from the north at 10-15 mph during the day and northwest at 10-15 mph Saturday night with lows near 2 degrees Sunday morning and wind-chills of -5 to -15 below.

Partly cloudy and colder on Sunday with flurries at times but no snow accumulations. Highs on Sunday will be much colder with afternoon temperatures near 5 degrees and wind-chills near -10 to -15 below with west-northwest winds at 10-15 mph.

FORECAST FIRST ALERT MONDAY & TUESDAY FOR BITTER COLD TEMPS & WIND-CHILLS: Temperatures Monday morning expected near -16 below with wind-chills of -30 to -35 below then sunshine Monday afternoon with highs near -2 below and wind-chills Monday afternoon between -25 to -30 below. Clear and extremely cold Monday night with lows near -18 below and wind-chills -30 to -35 below by 7 a.m. Tuesday. Sunny and still extremely cold Tuesday with highs around 0 and wind-chills of -20 to -25 below.

The cold continues the rest of the week with morning lows on Wednesday near -15 below and wind-chills of -20 to -25 below then highs Wednesday with sunshine and light winds near 6 degrees with wind-chills of -5 to -10 below. Clear Wednesday night and cold with lows near -7 below by Thursday morning and wind-chills from -15 to -20 below.

Moderating temperatures on Thursday and into the upcoming weekend (Feb-22/23) with highs in the low teens on Thursday then near 20 degrees on Friday and 28 degrees Saturday then 40 degrees on Sunday with mainly partly cloudy skies. JONATHAN YUHAS