Wednesday snow; bitterly cold air arrives this weekend

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – We’re enjoying a bright and pleasant mid-winter day across the area as high pressure works its way through the Upper Mississippi Valley, providing us with sunshine and quiet weather. Expect sunshine throughout the day with high temperatures in the upper 20s and light southwest winds.

Clouds will thicken this evening with temperatures overnight easing back to the low 20s which isn’t terribly cold for January standards.

An area of low pressure will move into the region from the northwest on Wednesday, bringing light snow to the area starting just after sunrise. We’ll have occasional light snow throughout the day with up to an inch of accumulation likely. A few spots could measure slightly more than an inch. The bulk of the accumulation will take place in the late morning and afternoon and the chances will slowly wind down during the evening hours. High temperatures tomorrow will be in the upper 20s with a slight north breeze.

Clouds will slowly clear off early Thursday with partly sunny conditions expected for most of the afternoon. High temperatures will be in the low 20s with a slight northwest breeze that will keep wind chill levels in the single digits.

A weak disturbance will bring a chance of light snow Friday morning. Activity will taper off early in the afternoon with less than half an inch of accumulation. High temperatures will be in the low 30s in the midday hours before much colder air begins to blow into the area during the afternoon. A raw, gusty northwest wind will reach 25 miles per hour at times, giving us wind chill values in the teens while temperatures fall through the 20s to the teens by early in the evening.

Arctic air will pour into the area this weekend on gusty northwest winds. Expect a weak clipper-type storm system to graze the area to the southwest on Saturday, possibly producing some light snow for parts of North Iowa in the afternoon. Otherwise, cold temperatures and raw winds will make headlines over the weekend. High temperatures will be in the single digits Saturday with readings barely climbing above zero on Sunday.

We’ll have occasional sunshine and cloud in the upcoming week with a chance of light snow next Wednesday. High temperatures will be in the single digits, for the most part, with overnight lows in the single digits to teens below zero each day.

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