Extreme Weather Change Coming This Weekend
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Many in the Twin Cities were enjoying the spring-like weather Friday. Some even opted for the sidewalks versus the Skyway.
Heidi Mason, an attorney in downtown Minneapolis, took a stroll outside on Friday afternoon. She was taking advantage of the great weather before this weekend's frigid temps remind Minnesotans it's still January.
"I workout right across the street from my building, and I normally take the Skyway if it's cold, but I'm walking outside without a jacket," she said.
Friday's average temperature in the Twin Cities was around 40 degrees. But when everyone returns to work on Monday, the high is expected to be -3 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
"It's an arctic front, so we have high pressure coming down from central Canada," said Rick Hiltbrand, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in Chanhassen. "It will begin building into the region for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with temperatures way below normal."
Hiltbrand says the arctic front will move across the Twin Cities late Saturday morning and into the afternoon hours. He says Saturday will feel mild in the morning and then winds will start increasing to 25-35 mph with gusts in the 50s.
The national weather service says the cold front is right on schedule for the month of January. But it's been some time since we've seen a high temperature below zero.
"We haven't had that occur since Jan. 15, 2009," Hiltbrand said.
On that day, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport recorded a high temperature of -2.9 degrees.
