How Long Will This Frigid Weather In Minnesota + Wisconsin Last? When Will It Warm Up?
Living in Minnesota or Wisconsin, it seems like a virtual guarantee we get at least one real arctic blast of cold air each winter. As I write this, we're just starting what is expected to be a week of just such weather.
As of Monday morning, all of Wisconsin and all but 8 counties in Minnesota are under a wind chill advisory. Those 8 Minnesota counties that aren't under a wind chill advisory aren't lucky enough to be spared.
Even worse, the 8 Southwestern Minnesota counties not under a wind chill advisory are actually under a wind chill warning. So yeah, it's uncomfortably cold out.
That said, each cold snap does eventually come to an end. During a winter that got off to an abnormally warm start, how long will this cold snap stick around?
How long will these frigid temperatures stick around in Minnesota and Wisconsin?
The forecast calls for near-zero daytime highs through all of this week, with single-digit high temperatures about all most of the region is going to muster through Friday, unless you're in the far southern reaches of each state, where around 10 degrees might be what you'll see in the later part of the week.
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Once we get into the weekend, much of Minnesota and Wisconsin will start a warmup, with Saturday getting into the teens above zero and Sunday getting into the 20s. While 20 degrees sounds like a heatwave, it gets even warmer after that!
The early part of next week (January 22) could see temperatures into the 30s above zero, even in Northern Minnesota!
What will the end of January bring weather-wise?
After the beginning of next week warming up quite a bit, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center says we can continue to expect warmer conditions through the end of the month.
In their outlook for the final part of January, they anticipate a high probability of warmer-than-normal temperatures across Minnesota and Wisconsin.
For reference, what is "normal" for this time of year?
Speaking in really broad terms for all of Minnesota and Wisconsin for daytime highs, it spans from upper teens in the northern parts of the region to 20s in the southern parts of the two states for January.
What about snow?
As of right now, there doesn't look to be any big snow events for the next week or so. The CPC's outlook for the rest of January shows a shift to "near normal" levels of precipitation for the end of January. This is a bit of a shift from what has been a generally dry winter so far.
That short-term return to "normal" precipitation for the end of January looks like it might stick around into February. After a dry start to the season, the long-term outlook shows no indication of a likelihood of a particularly snowy or particularly snowless stretch.
Long-term outlooks tend to be a lot more vague than shorter-term forecasts (up to 2 weeks out). As February draws closer, we'll get a better idea of what to expect, but it doesn't look like there are any indications of a major trend for particularly snowy or dry through mid-February as of right now.
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Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper - TSM Duluth