Wind Chill Alerts Continue

Wind Chill Advisories and Warnings continue across the state as we head through Saturday Night and, in many areas across central and northern Minnesota, through Tuesday morning. In the Twin Cities, the Wind Chill Advisory is in place through Noon Sunday for wind chills to -35F.

Here's a look at the daily morning wind chill values across the state through Wednesday morning. The coldest readings will be across far northern Minnesota, where both Sunday and Monday morning they could approach -50F.

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Subzero Highs Across Much Of The State For Sunday

Make sure you bundle up if you're heading out early Sunday morning across the state, as lows will range from about -10F down in southwestern Minnesota to around -30F up in far northern areas of the state.

And temperatures will remain cold throughout the entire day in the Twin Cities. While we will start off in the negative teens, highs will only climb to around -2F during the afternoon hours. Wind chills will be even more brutal, starting off around -30F and only climbing to around -15F in the afternoon. We'll start off sunny, but more clouds than sun are expected during the afternoon.

Sunday should be the coldest day through at least Wednesday across the state, with most areas not making it above zero. Roseau will see a high of only -13F! For areas like Brainerd and Bemidji, these highs will be about 35 degrees below average!

As we look at the Monday through Wednesday period, we should see some very slow, gradual warming temperatures across the state. However, most of the northern half of Minnesota will continue to see highs below zero through at least the middle of the week.

In summary for the Twin Cities, we're still looking at an extended streak of really cold weather. Highs through next Thursday will be at least 20F degrees below average, and the extended forecast shows this continuing into next weekend. While wind chills will be a touch less brutal Monday morning due to reduced winds, most days over the next seven will have a minimum wind chill of at least the -20s.

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Last Time With A Subzero High

The last time (before this cold stretch) that we saw a subzero high was back on January 31st, 2019, when the high only made it to -3F. If you expand that out to include 0F or below, the last time was back on March 3, 2019, with a high of 0F.

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Stretch Of At/Below Zero Hours

The good news is that this stretch of weather isn't going to rival the record of the longest period at or below zero (in terms of hours) in the Twin Cities. The longest on record was back between December 31, 1911, and January 8, 1912, when the temperature stayed at/below zero for 186 hours! Read more from the State Climatology Department by clicking here.

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Consecutive Days Below +10F

Now, one place we could find ourselves in the record book is the number of consecutive days with a high below +10F. We did hit 11F on Friday, so Saturday would be the first day of our streak. Based on the current forecast, which keeps highs below +10F through Valentine's Day next Sunday, that would be nine days in a row which would tie for the 11th longest streak on record. The most was 15 days in a row set four different times, most recently between December 1973 and January 1974.

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Character Building Cold - Temps Stay Subzero Today
By D.J. Kayser, filling in for Paul Douglas

Some may say cold weather helps you build character. For me, it "helps" me dive under the covers with a cup of hot chocolate, binging some show on television. I would rather be warm than frostbitten!

Get ready for the coldest day of the winter so far today, as highs don't appear that they'll make it above zero in the Twin Cities. It'll feel even more brutal out when you factor in the wind with morning wind chills down near -30F, only feeling like -15F this afternoon.

For reference, we didn't record any days last winter with a high below zero. The last instance that we saw a day fully below zero at MSP before this stretch of cold weather was back on January 31, 2019. Meanwhile, the longest the Twin Cities reporting station has stayed at or below zero was 186 hours between December 31, 1911, and January 8, 1912!

It looks like we'll stay in the deep freeze through next weekend, with highs near or slightly above zero each day. Warmer weather looks to return toward the third week of February. Until then, stay warm!

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D.J.'s Extended Twin Cities Forecast

SUNDAY: AM wind chill -30F. PM clouds. Wake up -16. High -2. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind WNW 5 mph.

MONDAY: Sun/cloud mix. Highs back above zero! Wake up -13. High 1. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind W 3-5 mph.

TUESDAY: Chilled sunshine. Wake up -12. High 3. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind W 5-10 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy. Slightly warmer. Wake up -9. High 5. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind WNW 5-10 mph.

THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy. A few snow showers? Wake up -9. High 4. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind NW 5-10 mph.

FRIDAY: More sun but highs stumble backwards. Wake up -10. High 1. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 5-10 mph.

SATURDAY: Still cold. Mix of sun and clouds. Wake up -11. High 1. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 5-10 mph.

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This Day in Weather History
February 7th

1857: A snowstorm dumps around 9 inches of snow at Fort Snelling.

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Average Temperatures & Precipitation for Minneapolis
February 7th

Average High:27F (Record: 53F set in 1987)
Average Low:10F (Record: -29F set in 1875)
Average Precipitation:0.02" (Record: 0.94" set in 1928)
Average Snowfall: 0.3" (Record: 5.9" in 2019)
Record Snow Depth: 22" in 1967

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Sunrise/Sunset Times for Minneapolis
February 7th

Sunrise:7:24 AM
Sunset:5:30 PM

*Length Of Day:10 hours,5 minutes and20 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday:~2 minutes and 45 seconds

*When Do We Climb To 10.5 Hours Of Daylight?February 16th (10 hours,31 minutes, and 11 seconds)
*When Is The Sunrise At/Before 7:00 AM?: February 23rd (7:00 AM)
*When Is The Sunset At/After 6:00 PM? March 1st (6:01 PM)

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National Weather Forecast

On Sunday, a winter storm will be impacting portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast with heavy snow in some areas. Snow will also be possible from the Northern Rockies to the Central Plains and downwind of the Great Lakes. Rain and snow will be possible in the Pacific Northwest, with strong storms along the cold front in central/southern Florida.

Through Monday evening, several feet of snow is expected to fall across the Northern Rockies and the Cascades. Several inches of snow are expected to accumulate across the Central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, and downwind of the Great Lakes.

Here's a closer look at the potential snow totals across the Northeast over the next few days. Areas like Philadephia, New York City, and Boston could see 4-7" of snow.

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In California, a Warming Climate Will Help a Voracious Pest—and Hurt the State's Almonds, Walnuts and Pistachios

More from Inside Climate News: "California almond farmers enjoyed record-breaking harvests over the last five years, after production dipped in the wake of 2014's historic drought. That year a chorus of headlines vilified almonds for sucking up a gallon of water per nut, though irrigation efficiency has been improving. Now, as global temperatures rise, a caterpillar barely the size of a paper clip may threaten California's position as the world's leading producer of almonds, walnuts and pistachios. In a study published in Science of the Total Environment's February issue (and online in October), researchers from three University of California campuses reported that warmer growing seasons will give the navel orangeworm an extra generation to eat into growers' profits."

California's famed Highway 1 collapsed last week. It's sure to happen again

More from The Guardian: "California's Highway 1 has been ruptured by a landslide that is expected to keep 23 miles of the iconic road snaking through the state's rugged coastal cliffs closed for months. A severe winter rain storm last week caused a 150ft fissure along the picturesque thoroughfare tucked against Big Sur, with concrete, trees and mud falling into the sea below. It's not the first time. Landslides have been a longstanding feature of Highway 1. And with climate change and a deluge in tourism and traffic overwhelming both infrastructure and environmental ecosystems in the coastal region, the problems are only expected to get worse."

How air pollution may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease

More from Science Daily: "Tiny particles of air pollution — called fine particulate matter — can have a range of effects on health, and exposure to high levels is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. New research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reveals that fine particulate matter has a detrimental impact on cardiovascular health by activating the production of inflammatory cells in the bone marrow, ultimately leading to inflammation of the arteries. The findings are published in the European Heart Journal. The retrospective study included 503 patients without cardiovascular disease or cancer who had undergone imaging tests at MGH for various medical reasons. The scientists estimated participants' annual average fine particulate matter levels using data obtained from the U.S. Environment Protection Agency's air quality monitors located closest to each participant's residential address."

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Thanks for checking in and have a great day! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@dkayserwx) and like me on Facebook (Meteorologist D.J. Kayser).

- D.J. Kayser