Hang on, more cold in forecast but January thaw is ahead

Don’t put away the extra scarves just yet or leave the cat outside.
Although the recent deep cold has now made Monday’s 15-degrees feel rather pleasant, more bitterly cold air is expected to return to central Minnesota later this week, the National Weather Service in Duluth reported. The weather service announced there may be more wind chill advisories or warnings in the near future. The coldest wind chill values are expected Thursday night and Friday morning.
The recent snowfall was expected to leave 1-3 inches of snow in the region. Monday’s snowfall, which provided a mix of snow and freezing rain, added to the light, fluffy snow deposited in the area Sunday.
The Minnesota State Patrol was busy assisting motorists Monday as the roads were icy. In the Brainerd District from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m., the state patrol responded to 27 vehicles that went off the road; 13 property damage crashes; and three personal injury crashes where only minor injuries were reported. However, no one was transported to the hospital in any of the crashes.
Snow is likely again today, mainly before noon. For those up either late Monday or very early today, the warmest part of the day may have arrived before 1 a.m. as temperatures continue to drop throughout the day today falling to about 10 degrees by 5 p.m. Winds may gust up to 30 mph and fresh snow may add another 1-3 inches to the snow cover. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. Snow may continue into tonight as the low drops to 4 below and conditions remain breezy with gusts up to 20 mph.
More snow is also expected Wednesday into Thursday but may not exceed 1 to 2 inches. By Wednesday, the high may top out near 7 degrees and drop to 12 below overnight. Thursday should be sunny and continued cold with a high near 6 degrees and a low of 24 below. Friday’s could be a cold morning and the afternoon high may not rise above zero. Things moderate a bit for Saturday with a high of 15 degrees beneath sunny skies and the overnight low remains above zero.
By Sunday, it’s a bonafide warmup with a high near 23 and a low of 10 degrees -- higher than a number of recent daytime temps. By Jan. 16, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, expect a high flirting with 30 degrees and partly sunny skies. On the plus side, January will be half over by then and spring that much closer.