Subzero Sunday segues to a more moderate Monday

Hang in there, Minnesotans, the weather outside is about to turn not so frightful.

From Alexandria to Zumbrota — and every initial in between — temperatures were frigid Sunday all across the state, with some communities experiencing lows colder than 30 below zero.

But Monday's forecast envisions a sharp turnaround in the Twin Cities, with a high in the low 20s, according to the National Weather Service. Even so, a breezy 10 to 15 mph wind will take some of the joy out of that mercurial reversal.

The coldest metro-area temperatures of the weekend were in the south metro Sunday morning between 7 and 9 a.m. — Waconia's minus-28 temperature was nearly matched by Lakeville, at 26 below.

The chilliest spot in the nation on Sunday was 39 below in Hoover, S.D., but Embarrass, Minn., was nearly as nippy, at 38 below.

In Minneapolis, 214 cars were towed and 537 cars ticketed on Saturday, said Sgt. Catherine Michal, spokeswoman for the Minneapolis Police Department. St. Paul's totals weren't available.

The bone-rattling, teeth-chattering cold followed more than 6 inches of snow falling Friday into Saturday, prompting Minneapolis and St. Paul to declare snow emergencies that remain in effect until early Monday evening. For snow emergency rules in Minneapolis, call 612-348-SNOW. In St. Paul, call 651-266-PLOW or check the cities' websites.

Because of the cold, Holidazzle festivities in Minneapolis' Loring Park were closed Sunday and will reopen during regular hours Monday. Holidazzle officials extended hours on Thursday, Dec. 22 and Friday, Dec. 23 from noon-10 p.m.

While both the Minneapolis and St. Paul police departments reported a relatively quiet Sunday, police have an extra task when the mercury dips this low, Michal said.

"Officers are more diligent about looking for homeless people, or people who aren't dressed appropriately, checking to see if they're OK," Michal said.

Come Tuesday, the warmup may crack the freezing mark in the metro, with sunshine expected.

No deep freezes are predicted for the rest of the week — just clouds and temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees (that's above zero) — but a dusting of snow is likely on Wednesday.

Staff writer Erin Adler contributed to this report.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482