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Winter Cold Arrives With Flip Of The Switch

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Winter has arrived. The metro is dealing with a one-two punch of chilly winds and a dusting of snow.

In the last week we've experienced a rollercoaster of temperatures; Monday and Tuesday in the 50s, and 62 on Wednesday. We hit 60 before noon on Thursday - then the bottom dropped out.

Friday's high temp: 27.

Webster Dictionary's definition of cold is "having or being a temperature that is uncomfortably low for humans."

With the hot seats sold out on Friday's first Holidazzle, parade-goers got creative to keep warm - from layering, to moving in place.

According to WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer, the culprit is wind that's coming from the northwest

"It's grabbing all that cold, Canadian air, and there's a lot of snow up there too. So the air doesn't warm a whole lot as it comes down toward us," Shaffer said.

That wind is causing havoc, dumping up to seven inches of snow in Duluth.

So, how long will this cold snap last? Chris Shaffer says the fact that we don't see a blanket of snow on the ground will likely help temps to creep back up.

He says he's not giving up hope that we will inch back into the 40's, with even have a shot at 50 degrees.

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