Strong Winds To Bring Blast Of Frigid Cold To Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – After days of unusually warm January weather, the winds of winter are returning Tuesday.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for much of western and southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro.

The winds are blowing out of the northwest between 25-35 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph. The winds are expected to strengthen through the morning, becoming strongest in the early afternoon.

The Minnesota State Patrol says motorists in northwest Minnesota are dealing with limited visibility due to strong winds and blowing snow.

The wind advisory is expected to expire at 6 p.m.

Meteorologist Matt Brickman says Tuesday's winds will usher in cooler temperatures, which will fall throughout the day.

This graphic is much more pleasant if you picture a ski hill. Wheeeee! ????⛷️ pic.twitter.com/QG3teAOJlq

— Matt Brickman (@Matt_Brickman) January 8, 2019

By Wednesday morning, air temperatures will be in the single digits in the Twin Cities, with wind chills making it feel 5 to 10 degrees below zero.

In northern Minnesota, wind chills Wednesday are expected to be 20 to 30 below zero.

However, the frigid cold won't last long. Temperatures look to rebound to average Thursday before pushing into the 30s for the weekend.

Brickman says that the unseasonably warm January weather looks to stick around, more or less, for most of the month.

Unfortunately for snow-lovers, there's no sign of a big winter storm tracking toward Minnesota anytime soon.