Late-January Heatwave Is All But Guaranteed: MN Weather

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota's artic blast will come to an abrupt end this weekend. The latest mid-range forecast from the National Weather Service all but guarantees a late January heatwave.

"The next few days will feel like winter, with highs in the single digits and lows below zero. Wind chills will range from -10 to -20. However, temperatures warm up this weekend, and the warmer weather will continue into next week," the NWS said.

The average temperature for late January is around 12 degrees, according to St. Cloud State Climate data from 1991 through 2020.

MPR News' weather guru, Paul Huttner, suggests that "this may end up being one of the shortest winters on record in Minnesota."

Here's the specific NWS forecast from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport:

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 9. Wind chill values as low as -15. West northwest wind around 10 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around -1. Wind chill values as low as -11. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 8. Wind chill values as low as -12. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night: A slight chance of snow between 7pm and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around -2. Northwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 6. North northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around -5. North northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 10. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south southwest in the afternoon.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 1. South wind 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 20. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. South wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. South wind 10 to 15 mph.

Monday Night: A slight chance of rain or freezing rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday: A slight chance of rain or freezing rain. Cloudy, with a high near 36. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.