As the residents of Minneapolis huddle into their winter coats, the city braces for a week of harsh weather, with forecasts predicting a medley of snow showers and biting cold. According to the National Weather Service, today's skies will remain partly sunny, with temperatures hovering near 27 degrees. However, the calm is set to break come nightfall, with an incoming front predicted to thrust the city into a series of snow showers. The local Northwest wind, pushing between 5 to 15 mph and gusting as high as 30 mph, could see that accumulation stay below one inch.
Tonight, the odds of snowfall rise to 90%, ushering in potentially treacherous travel conditions by early Wednesday morning. The Hazardous Weather Outlook issued by the National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN, indicates that these conditions could be compounded by blustery winds, creating a bite in the air that may not have been felt earlier in the season.
Attention turns towards Wednesday, where the city is expected to witness a sharp drop in temperature, plunging to around 3 degrees by late afternoon, with wind chill values potentially reaching a numbing -16, as detailed by the National Weather Service. The strong Northwest wind, consistent at around 15 mph and capable of gusting up to 30 mph, will linger, leading to a mostly sunny but frosty day. Come Wednesday night, the mercury is predicted to fall further to around -4 degrees, with the wind chill sinking to -19 in a clear yet icy embrace.
Looking later into the week, a semblance of respite appears as Thursday promises sunshine and a high near 7 degrees, with a lighter West Northwest wind around 5 mph. But the city isn't out of winter's grasp yet, with a 20 percent chance of snow looming by Friday afternoon, followed by a 50 percent chance of more snow Friday night, as per the National Weather Service. Conditions may warm slightly over the weekend with the temperature expected to climb to near 35 by Sunday. But as Monday comes into view, so does another blend of rain and snow chances, casting a wholly unpredictable net across the region's weather landscape.
