![A shelter offered some protection from the bitter-cold temperatures Tuesday morning as people waited for a bus on the corner of 5th and Minnesota Streets in St. Paul. ] JIM GEHRZ • jgehrz@startribune.com / St. Paul, MN / January 7, 2014 / 8:30 AM](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/GJY427BR6YIGPM7Y4XEJT76BNM.jpg?&w=1080)
A slow thaw is returning Minnesota to normal, but don't stash those warm layers too far away: Lower-than-normal temperatures likely will return by the end of next week.
For now, an expected winter warm-up should have temperatures in the Twin Cities area reaching into the teens by Thursday and into the 30s by Friday. A possible high of 37 degrees on Sunday might ease the cringe from the temps just days ago that brought some of Minnesota to a freezing halt.
As temperatures inched up on Tuesday, calls to AAA Minnesota-Iowa dipped to 1,187, down from a record 3,000 calls on Monday, spokeswoman Gail Weinholzer said, and are eventually expected to fall back to normal — about 800 calls a day.
Mary Lynn Smith
