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Coldest Air Of The Season Set To Ruin Your Weekend

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Did the comparatively warm air of the last few days lull you into a false sense of security, or perhaps inspire you to schedule some outdoor fun this coming weekend?

Change your plans, bundle up, and hunker down. The coldest temperatures of the season so far are set to arrive this weekend in Minnesota.

"This season's coldest conditions hit Minnesota this weekend," WCCO meteorologist Matt Brickman said Friday morning. "Subzero temperatures will arrive late Friday night, and the Twin Cities might not make it back above zero degrees until Tuesday midday."

You read that right. Minnesota may remain under the big donut for a span of roughly 80 hours. So much for that outdoor brunch.

Related: Winter Weather Resources

"The coldest of that stretch will be on Sunday morning, when temperatures will fall near negative 16 degrees with a wind chill around negative 35 at MSP International," Brickman said. "In conditions that cold, frostbite can set in as little as 15 minutes."

The Minnesota Department of Commerce is urging low income Minnesotans who need help paying their heating bills not to delay applying for energy assistance, as 31 local service providers are helping low-income homeowners and renters obtain federal grant money to help pay their bills. Kathryn Fair with the Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties says the application process for qualifying households is simple.

"Don't wait until your bill is high or you have a disconnection notice," she said. "The regular energy assistance grant is not determined by how much you currently owe on your bill. It's all based on how much your heat costs you per year."

Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so a number of Minnesota schools will be closed. Keep an eye on WCCO's closings page on Tuesday morning to see if any schools are reporting late starts or closings then.

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