Wind Chill Warnings As Extreme Cold Falls On Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Dangerous arctic cold and strong winds descended upon Minnesota on Sunday morning, creating the possibility of wind chill factors as low as 45 below.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill warning for northern Minnesota, and a wind chill advisory for the southern part of the state. They are set to expire at noon on Monday.
WCCO-TV forecaster Kylie Bearse says the frigid temperatures moved in from Canada overnight. As of 6 a.m. Sunday morning, air temperatures hovered around zero in the Twin Cities, and were as low as 24 below in the state's northwest corner.
But that's not the worst of it.
Strong, gusty winds had it feeling like 20 below in the metro, and a bone-chilling 40 below in Bemidji.
With that kind of cold, frostbite can set in in just minutes. The National Weather Service advises that if you need to venture outside, wear gloves, a scarf, a hat, and lots of layers.
The frigid temperatures even prompted some ski areas in northern Minnesota to close for the day or open late.
Relief from the cold won't come until next weekend.
Monday evening may also bring an inch of snow to the metro, and as much as 6 inches to southern Minnesota.