Windchills as low as -45 in store for weekend

It's going to be brutally cold this weekend, even by January standards.

Temperatures are expected to plummet to well below zero across most of northern Minnesota Friday night and are expected to be in the single digits below zero in the southern part of the state, including the Twin Cities area. Brisk northwest winds will envelop the entire state Saturday, sending windchills into dangerously cold levels of minus 30 to minus 45-degrees on both Saturday into Sunday, the National Weather Service said.

A windchill advisory was in effect until midday Saturday for all but the extreme eastern counties of Minnesota.

The arctic cold prompted the weather service to remind people heading out to dress in layers and cover exposed skin.

"The cold will be so strong, a snowman will want to be inside," the weather service said on its Facebook page.

If there is a silver lining to being in the deep freeze, at least it will be mostly sunny, the weather service said.

The frigid air will hang around at least through the middle of next week. Highs will struggle to get to zero in the Twin Cities Saturday through Monday. A slight moderation will begin Tuesday with a high to 10 degrees and an almost balmy 20 degrees by Thursday.

The coldest reading was 0 degrees in Hallock, Roseau, Warroad, Thief River Falls and Crookston. Factor in the windchill and Hallock and Crookston tied for the coldest place in the state with things feeling like minus 21.

The warm spot in Minnesota was Winona at 28 degrees above zero, but the windchill made it feel like only 17 degrees above.

The latter part of January is trending warmer than normal, so some relief from the bitterly cold temperatures is in sight, the weather service said.