First Alert Days Today and Tuesday for Brutal Wind Chills; Warmer Days Are Ahead

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Arctic air is lingering in the region to start the new week. Even with a mostly sunny sky, temperatures will be held to bitterly cold levels thanks to the very cold air mass that’s in place and readings will end up about 20 degrees colder than the seasonal average. Expect highs this afternoon only a few degrees above zero with a light westerly breeze keeping wind chills values in the teens below zero. Because of the brutally cold wind chill indices, today and tomorrow have been declared First Alert Days.

Under generally clear skies tonight temperatures will plummet to the teens below zero and wind chill values will be around -25 to -30.

After a frigid start to the day Tuesday, gusty southwest winds will work to pull in warmer air. A mostly sunny sky combined with those winds will lead to afternoon readings in the single digits and low teens, a slight improvement from the beginning of the week, but will chill values will remain sub-zero.

Winds will subside a bit on Wednesday with occasional sunshine and clouds in the area. High temperatures will be in the teens with a slight southwest breeze.

Colder air will again blow into the area late on Thursday and Friday. We’ll have high temperatures in the teens Thursday afternoon with morning lows around -10 on Friday. Afternoon high temperatures Friday will only be in the single digits under a mostly sunny sky.

A weak clipper-type storm system will graze the area to the north on Saturday, pulling in warmer air and bringing a slight chance of light snow in the afternoon. Minor accumulation is expected at this point. High temperatures will be in the upper 20s to low 30s with a gusty south breeze.

Sunday is looking a bit sunnier, but still breezy. High temperatures will be in the mid-20s to round out the weekend.

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