The Down Slope Of The Temp Rollercoaster Begins

We continue to track a quick-hitting band of snow that'll move across the state late Thursday into early Friday that could bring 1-2" of snow along with it in a 6-12 hour period. Breezy winds along with this system could cause some blowing and drifting snow. Expect the Friday morning commute to be impacted, as snow won't likely move out until sometime around 8-9 AM.

This clipper will bring a widespread 1-2" of snow across much of the state. Some isolated areas - mainly up in the Arrowhead - could see isolated 3" totals.

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So while we will start the day off with a few snow showers still around, you might want to get out and feel the warmest temperatures we're going to see for at least the next week and a half. Highs will be set early in the metro (in the low 30s) before they tumble into the teens by sunset. Skies will remain partly sunny throughout the day once the snow goes away. Winds will be quite strong - out of the northwest with gusts to 30 mph - meaning that it'll feel like the single digits already by Noon.

Highs across the state will be set early in the day as with the strong northwesterly winds behind the clipper temperatures will be free-falling.

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As we head into the weekend, that cold blast of air really settles on into the region for an extended period of time. Highs might be able to make it back to 10F for Hockey Day Minnesota on Saturday in the metro under cloudy skies with snow passing mainly to our south. Clouds continue Sunday with highs only in the mid-single digits. A slight snow chance moves through Sunday Night before sunnier conditions try to move in Monday... but even with that sun, we'll struggle to see highs in the low single digits.

Forecast loop Saturday Midnight to Noon.

Another clipper system will move across the Upper Midwest Friday Night into Saturday, but with the cold air in place, it'll travel farther south than recent ones. That means southern Minnesota - mainly south of the Twin Cities - will see the best chance of accumulating snow with even better chances south of the Minnesota/Iowa border.

Right now the best chance of at least an inch of snow will be down along and south of the I-90 corridor, but there has been a slight northward nudge in models the past day or so, therefore, don't be surprised to see the potential of at least slight snow accumulation creep northward toward the southern metro.

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Behind the clipper hitting the region Thursday night, we will be watching an extended Arctic Blast across the state, with highs in the metro generally in the single digits this weekend through at least the middle of next week and lows dipping to near -10F. Once winds die down into Friday night, nightly wind chill values down to around -25F will be possible in the metro and they could reach -40F in parts of northern Minnesota. We could start to see some temperature moderation toward next weekend.

The Down Slope Of The Temp Rollercoaster Begins
By D.J. Kayser, filling in for Paul Douglas

Have you been enjoying the warmth this month? Our typical average high in January is in the low to mid-20s, but we've only had six days so far this month with a below-average high. Today we will technically be above average, but it'll be the last time you will see a high remotely around 30F for a while.

Behind the departing snow from last night's clipper, we will see increasing northwest winds. Today's high will be set shortly after sunrise - after that, we'll see a downward slide of temperatures through the rest of the day with teens by sunset. While we may pop up to around 10F in the metro Saturday for Hockey Day Minnesota, highs generally through the middle of next week will be in the single digits with subzero lows and morning wind chills in the -20s in the heart of the metro and -40s around the Red River Valley.

Meanwhile, according to NASA, a near-Earth asteroid was expected to pass only 2,200 miles above the Earth's surface yesterday (Thursday) Night. NASA says it's one of the closest approaches by a near-Earth object ever recorded.

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FRIDAY: AM snow. High of 31 set early in the day, teens by sunset. Chance of precipitation 30%. Wind NW 15-30 mph.

SATURDAY: Cloudy & colder. Southern MN snow. Wake up 3. High 10. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind N 5-10 mph.

SUNDAY: Chilly sunshine. Overnight flurries? Wake up -8. High 4. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind NW 5-10 mph.

MONDAY: More sun than clouds. Bitterly cold. Wake up -9. High 2. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind W 5-10 mph.

TUESDAY: AM chill: -25F. Sun/cloud mix. Wake up -13. High 7. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind SW 5-10 mph.

THURSDAY: Shadow potential for Groundhog Day (partly cloudy skies). Wake up -7. High 9. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind W 5-10 mph.

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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
January 27th

*Length Of Day: 9 hours, 35 minutes, and 25 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: 2 minutes and 22 seconds

*When do we see 10 Hours of Daylight?: February 6th (10 hours, 1 minute, 13 seconds)
*When is Sunrise at/before 7:30 AM?: February 3rd (7:30 AM)
*When is Sunset at/after 5:30 PM?: February 8th (5:30 PM)

This Day in Weather History
January 27th

2006: A record high temperature of 50 degrees is set at the Eau Claire Regional Airport.

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Snow and mixed precipitation will impact northern areas of the nation on Friday due to a few different systems in the region. A few showers will also be possible in Texas and the Pacific Northwest.

Heavy snow is expected to fall across the northern Rockies over the next few days, with some areas receiving at least a foot. Some snow will sneak out into the Upper Midwest as well, with the potential of 6" around the Sioux City area.

NASA System Predicts Small Asteroid to Pass Close by Earth This Week

More from NASA: "On Thursday, Jan. 26, a small near-Earth asteroid will have a very close encounter with our planet. Designated 2023 BU, the asteroid will zoom over the southern tip of South America at about 4:27 p.m. PST (7:27 p.m. EST) only 2,200 miles (3,600 kilometers) above the planet's surface and well within the orbit of geosynchronous satellites. There is no risk of the asteroid impacting Earth. But even if it did, this small asteroid – estimated to be 11.5 to 28 feet (3.5 to 8.5 meters) across – would turn into a fireball and largely disintegrate harmlessly in the atmosphere, with some of the bigger debris potentially falling as small meteorites."

North Dakota officials threaten to sue Minnesota if it passes 2040 clean energy plan

More from Minnesota Reformer: "North Dakota's governor and other top elected officials on Tuesday threatened a lawsuit in a letter to Gov. Tim Walz and other state officials over Minnesota's potential move away from fossil fuels. Gov. Doug Burgum urged Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen and legislative leaders to amend the bills currently being considered that would mandate 100% carbon-free energy by 2040, or else face the "certainty of a lawsuit." The Minnesota House is debating a bill Thursday requiring Minnesota utilities to use only carbon-free energy sources for electricity generation by 2040. This would also ban the state from importing energy originating from carbon sources. The House passed a similar clean energy bill in 2021, but it died in the Senate. A new DFL-majority in the Legislature has given the bill new life, and Walz has said he'll sign it. Minnesota's neighbor, however, would be displeased."

A giant solar microgrid is coming to New York City's JFK airport

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Thanks for checking in and have a great day!

- D.J. Kayser