Brutal!: Temperatures expected to plummet into 1st week of February

Lakes area residents should brace for a cold stretch incoming to central Minnesota and the Upper Midwest-seven to 10 days of sub-arctic temperatures, with biting wind chill factors and nights hovering in the negative teens to thirties.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill warning from 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, until noon, Friday.

It's typical to see a week or two of frigid subzero temperatures in the Northland-what's unusual is the depth and length of this cold stretch, said Dan Miller, science and operations officer at the National Weather Service office in Duluth. Two blasts of cold air-from Friday into Saturday, then Tuesday into Wednesday-are expected to represent the nadir of this period.

"The thing to consider is that the windchill temperatures are going to be much colder than that," Miller said of the projected highs and lows filling out the forecast. "The cold air mass filtered in last night (Wednesday, Jan. 23) and it's here to stay through the end of next week. There may be a few brief periods of warm-ups, like 12 to 18 hours, but we're remaining in a cold pattern from north and northwest Canada."

This results from "deep troughs," or enormous, frigid, and high-pressure systems forming throughout the Northern Hemisphere, said Miller, noting "while we're under this pattern, we're almost constantly intruded by these cold systems from Canada."

Miller said these systems-coupled with some of the traditionally coldest days of the year, along with a weak El Nino system not strong enough to counteract Canadian gales-projects to be a uniquely frigid amalgamation.

"This looks pretty exceptional, even for the coldest time of the year in Minnesota," Miller said.

Miller's cold weather tips

Miller advised lakes area residents to show good judgement, prepare beforehand and dress appropriately for the wave of subzero temperatures expected to blast the Northland in coming days.

• Bundle up and cover up all exposed skin-wear a ski mask, wear gloves or mittens, wear heated coats, wear a hat. Wear thick layers of clothing and plenty of them. Frostbite can develop quickly in these temperatures and hypothermia is always a concern.

• For driving-especially on less-traveled roads off the main drag-bear in mind most de-icing techniques and chemicals are not very effective in these temperatures. Drive slowly, plan ahead for longer trips. Watch out for black ice or frost on roadways, as careening off the roadway into a ditch is not only a headache but potentially a life-threatening situation in these temperatures.

• Don't forget the fur babies. Pets should be limited in their times outdoors and should be provided with plenty of water.

• Limit alcohol consumption. That face-planting digger on the way home from the bars-which typically injures little more than a person's pride during the summer months-has led to severe frostbite damage, loss of limbs and death in some cases. For designated drivers, ensure the inebriated person is inside their homes and secure from the cold.

• In general-and Miller acknowledged this may be the hardest to follow in the Northland-curb any time spent outside in these temperatures, even if it's favorite pastimes like snowmobiling, ice fishing, sledding, or other forms of outdoor recreation. Make sure everyone gets home, safe and sound and warm. Being stranded could be a life-threatening situation in 15 to 20 minutes.

Forecast

Projected seven-day forecast for Brainerd/Baxter, per the Duluth office of the National Weather Service:

• Thursday night, Jan. 24, is expected to see lows around 24 degrees below zero, with windchill factors between 25 to 35 degrees below zero riding a 5 mph wind.

• Friday, Jan. 25, could see a high of 1 degree below zero, while Friday night looks to see lows around -18 degrees, with a windchill factor of 25 to 30 below zero.

• Saturday, Jan. 26, should rise to around 7 degrees-the highest point in the seven-day forecast-while daytime windchill factors stand to be around 20 to 30 degrees below zero. Cloudy skies will contribute to a nighttime chill fo 19 degrees below zero.

• Sunday, Jan. 27, comes with a 20 percent chance of snow showers after noon, with a high of zero degrees. That night, snow showers are likely, with a low around 12 degrees below zero.

• Monday, Jan. 28, also features a chance of snow showers, potentially before noon. Temperatures should reach their zenith at 3 degrees during the day, then plummeting to -19 degrees that night.

• Tuesday, Jan. 29, looks to be cloudy and cold-as in 8 degree below zero for a high cold-and conditions should remain much the same during the night, when it bottoms out at a frigid 27 degrees below zero.

• Wednesday, Jan. 30, should be sunny, but chilly-topping off at 11 degrees below zero. That night, it should be partly cloudy, dipping down to 28 below zero.

• Thursday, Jan. 31, looks to be mostly sunny. High temperatures should be around 7 degrees below zero.