National Weather Service issues wind chill advisory

A mass of anglers out on the lake ice during the extravaganza. — Anglers compete in the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, at Hole-in-the-Day Bay on Gull Lake.

By Dispatch staff report

January 29, 2023 at 7:55 PM

Dangerously cold wind chills are expected into the morning hours Monday, Jan. 30.

The cold air temperatures and wind chills are forecast to continue this week.

Temperatures dropped below zero before 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, reaching 12 degrees below before 8 a.m. Saturday. It doesn’t take much of a breeze, once air temperatures go subzero, to make things feel worse. Wind chills dropped to 34 below Sunday morning on top of the 20 degrees below air temperature recorded at the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport.

Wind chill values will drop to 25 to 40 below zero tonight and Wind Chill Advisories are in effect for all of the Northland. pic.twitter.com/Mmho5gHfwg
— NWS Duluth (@NWSduluth) January 30, 2023

The National Weather Service issued a wind chill advisory in effect from 6 p.m. Sunday to noon Monday with wind chill values of 25-35 below zero expected.

“The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes,” the weather service reported. “An hour or two of wind chills of 40 to 45 below zero are possible Monday morning, mainly north of the Iron Range and inland portions of the Arrowhead.”

In the Brainerd lakes area, after a cold Saturday for the annual Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake, more cold is in the mix. An overnight low of 11 degrees below was forecast overnight Sunday into Monday, where a sunny but cold day is not expected to encourage temperatures to rise above zero.

There is a chance for flurries late Tuesday night and again Thursday morning.

Temperatures are anticipated to moderate into above zero numbers to start the week but may take a dip into colder air with highs of 7-10 degrees by Thursday and Friday. Thursday night may be the coldest, potentially dropping to 14 degrees below. Blustery conditions will help drive that cold air home at the end of the week before a north wind shifts to the south for the weekend, which could bring highs in the mid-20s.

While the normal high for this time of year is 22 degrees, the cold temperatures come with sunny skies for those who have been starved for sunshine this winter.

And as always, it could be worse. In 1899, the high temperature on Jan. 29 was 16 below — and it continues as the coldest maximum temperature for that date. The coldest day record holder for Jan. 30, is much more recent — 16 below in 2019.

On the bright side, there are 48 days until spring.

By Dispatch staff report

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "staff." Often, the "staff" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

Hi, I'm the Brainerd Dispatch. I started working a few days before Christmas in 1881 and became a daily paper two years later. I've gone through a lot of changes over the years, but what has never changed is my commitment to community and to local journalism. I've got an entire team of dedicated people who work night and day to make sure I go out every morning, whether in print, as an e-edition, via an app or with additional information at www.brainerddispatch.com. News, weather, sports — videos, photos, podcasts and social media — all covering stories from central Minnesota about your neighbors, your lakes, your communities, your challenges and your opportunities. It's all part of the effort to keep people connected and informed. And we couldn't do it without support.