Valentine's Day 2021 was the 2nd coldest Valentine's Days on record at MSP with a high of -4F. Note that the coldest Valentine's Day on record was -5F back in 1920.

The actual air temperature on Monday morning could dip to around -20F to -25F in the Twin Cities metro, which would be the first time we've been that cold in nearly 2 years! The last time the mercury dipped below -20F in the metro was back in late January 2019 with the coldest low temperature of -28F on January 30th, 2019. Note that in 2019, the metro had 3 consecutive nights with low temps in the -20s... Uffda!

Sunday, February 14th was the 9th consecutive day with sub +10F high temps at MSP. The forecast calls for sub +10F highs again on Monday and Tuesday, which would bring our stretch to 11 consecutive days and would put us 8th longest stretch on record.

The core of the Arctic air will finally being to subside over the next several days with much warmer temps expected by next weekend. Sure, it'll still be quite cold across much of the nation through the first half of the week, but temp will moderate slowly through the week.

Here's the extended weather outlook for Minneapolis through the end of next week. Note that temperatures will stay VERY chilly during the first half of the week with readings running nearly -15F to -35F below average. The good news is that there will be some improvement during the 2nd half of the week as highs warm into the teens above zero for the first time since February 5th. Highs could warm into the 20s and 30s next weekend, which will be some +50F warmer than it was on Sunday and Monday morning!

Here's the weather outlook for Minneapolis on Monday. It'll be another cold day with highs struggling to get above 0F by the afternoon. Northwesterly winds at 5-10mph will keep wind chill values in the subzero range all day.

The meteograms for Minneapolis on Monday show very cold conditions through the day with feels like temps staying in the teens below zero. The actual air temperature may climb to near 0F, but the NW wind of 10mph to 15mph through the day will make it feel even colder.

Here's the ECMWF & GFS extended temperature outlook for Minneapolis through the 3rd week of February. Note that temperature readings will still be running well below average through early next week. The good news is that the deep freeze looks to ease late next week with highs approaching the freezing mark by next weekend!

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook suggests warmer than average temperatures returning to the Upper Midwest by the last week of February.

Welcome to the land of 10,000 frozen lakes. Minnesotans definitely have bragging rights when it comes to enduring the cold. Even the Bold North can get a brain freeze just standing outside. Uffda!

Sunday was our 9th consecutive sub +10 degree high temp at the MSP Airport. With Today and tomorrow added to that list, we'll likely endure the 8th longest sub +10F period on record. The record was 15 days, most recently in January of 1974.

This is some of the coldest weather we've seen in nearly 2 years. In fact, it doesn't get this cold that often anymore. According to Climate Central there has been less extreme cold with the lowest temperature at the MSP Airport increasing nearly +12 degrees since1970!

MONDAY: Frigid. Feels like -30F. Winds: N 5. High: -2.

MONDAY NIGHT: Clear and cold. Feels Like -25F. Winds: NW 5. Low: -16.

TUESDAY: Cold blue sky. Feels like -15F. Winds: SE 5. High: 8.

WEDNESDAY: Light snow. Roads become icy again. Winds: SE 5-10. Wake-up: -7. High: 13.

THURSDAY: Lingering AM flake or two. Winds: WNW 5. Wake-up: 2. High: 17.

SATURDAY: Mix of sun and clouds. Heat wave? Winds: S 5-10. Wake-up: 5 High: 26.

SUNDAY: Flurries. Freezing never felt so good! Winds: WSW 5-15. Wake-up: 7 High: 32.

February 15th

1921: An early blast of spring weather invades Minnesota. Thunderstorms were reported across the southern portion of the state. Winona had a high of 67.

February 15th

Average Low: 13F (Record: -25F set in 1875)

Record Rainfall: 0.87" set in 1967

Record Snowfall: 8.5" set in 1967

February 13th

Sunrise: 7:13am

Hours of Daylight: ~10 hours & 28 minutes

Daylight GAINED since yesterday: ~ 2 minutes & 55 seconds

Daylight GAINED since Winter Solstice (December 21st): ~ 1 hour & 42 minutes

3.5 Days Before First Quarter Moon

"Many know that Sirius is the brightest star visible in Earth's night sky. But the second-brightest star – Canopus in the constellation Carina the Keel – isn't nearly as well known. That's because it's located so far south on the celestial sphere. Tonight, think about – or look for – a star that northern stargazers rarely see. Because it's so bright, Canopus is easily visible, even on a moonlit night. Northern stargazers sometimes travel south in winter, just to be able to glimpse this star. Wait? Easily visible? Well … it is if you live far enough south on Earth's globe. Canopus never rises above the horizon for locations north of about 37 degrees north latitude. In the United States, that line runs from roughly Richmond, Virginia; westward to Bowling Green, Kentucky; through Trinidad, Colorado; and onward to San Jose, California – just south of San Francisco. Extend that line of latitude around the world to know who on the globe can see this star. You must be south of this line of latitude to be able to see Canopus."

Here's a look at weather conditions across the nation on Saturday, which shows temps running well below average across much of the nation. Interestingly, a number of these temps in the Central US will be record cold high temps for Saturday.

The weather map on Saturday shows messy weather conditions across the southern tier of the nation. Areas of rain, snow and ice will be possible in many locations. By Sunday, a major winter storm will unfold across the Central & Southern US.

Here's the weather outlook through Sunday, which shows very active weather across the nation. A powerful Pacific storm system will push through the Rockies and move into the Southern US with widespread heavy snow and ice. This could be a crippling storm system for some as winter weather in these parts is quite rare.

The precipitation potential over the next 7 days shows heavier precipitation in the Southeastern US with several inches of rain and flooding possible across the Southeastern US. Meanwhile, areas of heavier precipitation, including heavy snow in the Western Mountains will be possible.

The extended ECMWF snowfall forecast shows heavy snow continuing in the high elevations in the Western US, while another round of heavy snow will be possible in the Southern US and into the Northeast.

See more from NOAA's SPC HERE:

"For many people, the beauty of spring is countered by the sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes of allergies that come with the warmer weather. For those people, science has some bad news – climate change seems to be making pollen season longer and more severe. The new study, led by scientists at the University of Utah, compiled almost 30 years of measurements from 60 pollen count stations across the US and Canada. They found that by 2018, the pollen season was starting 20 days earlier, lasting 10 days longer, and involving 21 percent higher pollen concentrations than in 1990. The team says that tree pollen levels increased more than that of other plants, and Texas and the Midwestern US saw the highest increases in pollen counts. So why are pollen levels going up? Perhaps unsurprisingly, the researchers link it to the warmer temperatures brought about by climate change."

See more from New Atlas HERE:

"It's been a tough winter for many Colorado ski areas. Until recently, the central and northern mountains were starved for snow; meanwhile, the southern mountains were seeing more than their fair share, going against pre-season predictions. But these flip-flops in forecasts and surprise storm patterns may become more common in the future. A 2008 report by the Western Water Assessment showed that statewide temperatures across Colorado had increased by two degrees since 1977 — a substantial warmup that's continuing to affect ski areas. "The impacts of climate change are going to differ from region to region, but across the board, research is indicating a shortening of the ski season due to rising average temperatures and a reduction in snowfall," says Natalie Ooi, head of the Ski Area Management department at Colorado State University. The National Integrated Drought Information System had long focused its work on the effects of climate change on the agriculture and ranching industries in the Intermountain West. But after the Outdoor Industry of America released a report in 2017 noting its economic impact, the NIDIS decided to expand its scope. Realizing that the outdoors industry could benefit from its services, NIDIS put out a call for research proposals."

See more from West World HERE:

See more from LA Times HERE: