Freezing drizzle, snow, windy conditions to start the weekend

Dry conditions will come to an end with a wintery mix/freezing drizzle moving into the area followed by snow showers this afternoon and evening as winds are projected to increase leading to blowing snow and reduced visibility.

Today will start off quiet but windy with cloudy skies and winds up to 25 mph. Temperatures will be more mild in the upper-30s through the early afternoon hours. A cold front is projected to move through the area today. This cold front will drop temperatures through the mid to late afternoon hours and into the overnight hours. As the front moves through the area, we are tracking a wintery mix/freezing drizzle transitioning into snow showers. The wintery mix/freezing drizzle will move into the area between 3 and 4 pm this afternoon before transitioning into snow showers between 5:30 and 6 pm this evening. This will make way for very slick road conditions due to the freezing drizzle falling before the snow showers. Anything that falls ahead of the drop in temperatures is expected to freeze, leading to very icy roads, sidewalks, and paths in general. Winds will increase as conditions go down hill today, with winds up to 25 mph and gusts up to 40 mph at times, though some areas may see gusts as high as 50 mph. Snow will start to wrap up by midnight the latest as winds remain strong. Despite snow wrapping up tonight, winds will continue to blow snow around the area. This will likely lead to reduced visibility with white out conditions/blizzard like conditions at times as well as drifting. All of this will be on top of very slick surfaces. Temperatures are projected to dip into the single digits overnight but due to the winds, the wind chill is likely to range down to -15 for some areas. Mankato is looking at a wind chill of -10 by Saturday morning.

Saturday will remain on the bitter side but sunny side as well. Skies will be mostly sunny throughout the day as temperatures top out in the mid to upper-teens across the area. Winds will be calmer but remain slightly breezy up to 15 mph. This will likely lead to a wind chill hovering in the single digits and low teens through the afternoon hours despite sunshine in the area. The low will actually occur through the mid to late evening hours as temperatures dip into the low to mid-teens. Once temperatures dip into the low, temperatures are actually projected to rise through the overnight hours into Sunday morning as skies remain mostly clear.

Sunday will remain mostly sunny through the day before cloudy skies move in late Sunday evening. Temperatures will hover in the upper-20s through the afternoon hours with sunshine and a minor breeze up to 15 mph. As clouds move in through the late evening hours, snow is projected to move into the area through the overnight hours into Monday morning as temperatures dip into the upper-teens.

Monday will start off cloudy with snow showers lingering in the area. Snow will wrap up through the mid to late morning hours. Temperatures will rise into the upper-20s by the afternoon hours as skies remain rather cloudy. Winds will continue to range up to 15 mph through the day. Monday night will remain mostly cloudy but bitter as temperatures dip into the single digits by Tuesday morning.

The rest of next week will be on the chilly side with temperatures ranging from the mid to upper-teens into the mid-20s through the afternoon hours. Skies will teeter between partly cloudy and mostly sunny before cloudy skies return to the area by the end of next week and next weekend. Winds will be light up to 10 mph through the remainder of the week before picking back up by the weekend with a chance for some more precipitation. Temperatures through the overnight hours will remain bitter ranging from the single digits into the mid-teens Tuesday through next weekend.

Copyright 2022 KEYC. All rights reserved.