However, if you are looking for sun...Saturday afternoon and Tuesday are it. We're in the grey gloom of winter. It's not until Jan/Feb that we start to see the more lengthy arctic high pressure that keeps skies clear but temperatures bitterly cold.
6/6

** LONG TERM (MON - WED) **

We will be on the northern extent of a strong high pressure ridge over the middle of the country which will allow for a mostly zonal (W to E) flow bringing in mild Pacific air. Highs will be in the low-mid 30s on Monday then around 30 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

5/6

** FRI THROUGH SUN **

The next 24 hours will be cold with overnight wind chills dropping to the -10 to -30 range. Skies remain cloudy and Friday's high is 15-20. Saturday features a warm up to the mid-upper 20s and a chilly night with lows 0 to -10. Sunday's highs around 20.
4/6

Driving conditions will be difficult to hazardous due to heavy snow showers, high winds producing areas of visibility below 1 mile, plummeting temperatures will lead to a flash freeze of all the melting that happened overnight. Slow down, leave extra space, and keep your headlights on low.
3/6

At 1:45PM, Paynesville reports +10F, Lakeville +16F, and further upstream, Alexandria +7.

Quite the change from overnight as MSP hit 43 at 3 AM before the cold front went through.
2/6

SATURDAY: Clearing skies. High: near 20 early then falling. Low: 0 to -5

SUNDAY: Sunny. High: around 15 Low: 5-10 rising overnight

MONDAY: Partly sunny. High: near 30 Low: near 20

TUESDAY: Partly sunny then increasing clouds overnight High: mid 20s Low: near 10

3/3

REST OF TODAY: Windy. Snow. Accumulation around 1". Wind: W 15-25 turning NW 25-30 with gusts to 50 mph.

TONIGHT: Windy. Clearing skies. Low -5 to -10 Wind: NW 20-25 diminishing to 10-16
FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. High: low-mid 20s Low: 10-15 rising overnight.

2/3

SUNDAY: Sunny. High: around 15 Low: 5-10 rising overnight

MONDAY: Partly sunny. High: near 30 Low: near 20

TUESDAY: Partly sunny. High: mid 20s
4/4

THURSDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. Windy. Much colder. Lows: 0 to -5 Winds: NW 20-30 gusts to 45 diminishing to 10-15 with gusts to 30 after midnight.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. High: low-mid 20s Low: 10-15 rising overnight.

SATURDAY: Clearing skies. High: near 20 early then falling. Low: 0 to -5
3/4

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy, evening showers then rain after midnight. Low: mid 20s to low 30s

THURSDAY: Windy. Snow. Accumulation around 1". Early high in the upper 20s then falling.Winds: W 15-25 turning NW 25-30 with gusts to 50 mph.

2/4

We could see some light snow and/or freezing drizzle on Friday as a spoke of energy from the Thursday system passes through. Once we get to the weekend, a zonal flow from the Pacific Northwest will keep us dry with temperatures around normal with highs in the mid-upper 20s and lows in the teens.

Expect low visibility in snow, very strong winds, and a flash freeze once the front passes. The PM commute tomorrow could be quite the challenge tomorrow.

Temperatures drop from the 30s to the just below zero by tomorrow night. Wind chills in central Minnesota could dip as low as -25.

A strong dry slot associated with a very strong low pressure moving east along the international border ends our rain overnight and let our winds drop for a few hours. Once the arctic front blows through tomorrow morning, we will see scattered snow showers and even a few snow squalls are possible

4/4

The Big Picture - south of a Duluth to Fargo line in Minnesota on the north, the Iowa border on the south, I-29 on the west and a line from Ashland, WI to Baraboo, WI on the east. I have attached an image of the "big picture" for reference.
3/4

The options:

Twin Cities - just the 10 county metro (includes Pierce, Polk and St. Croix counties in WI)

St. Cloud - Just Stearns/Benton/Sherburne counties

Southern Minnesota - Minnesota south of St. Cloud and Willmar.
2/4

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. High: mid 20s Low: near 10 then rising into the low 20s overnight.

SATURDAY: Partly sunny. High: low-mid 20s Low: 0 to 5

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. High: near 20
4/4

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Breezy. Evening rain turning to rain/snow mix after midnight. Low: 20 early before rising into the low 30s overnight.

THURSDAY: Windy, colder. Partly cloudy, chance of AM snow. High: mid 20s early then falling to the low-mid single digits in the afternoon. Low: -5 to -10

3/4

TUESDAY: Mostly clear. High: around 40. Low: 15-20 Winds: SE 10-20 gusts to 35 shifting to W late.

WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. High: upper 30s Winds: S 5-10 increasing 15-20 in the afternoon.

2/4