Thursday Brings Coldest Temps Of The New Year

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The deep freeze continues Thursday as Minnesotans woke up to experience the coldest winter temperatures since the start of the new year.

Meteorologist Matt Brickman says communities in northern Minnesota reported air temperatures Thursday morning colder than 30 below. In the Twin Cities metro, the mercury was around 5 below.

Lighter wind today, so it won't FEEL as cold. But those temperatures up north are brutal on their own. #mnwx #wiwx pic.twitter.com/xr9F1BX4uY

— Matt Brickman (@Matt_Brickman) January 5, 2017

While the morning brought clear skies and calm winds, wind chill factors were still brutal, with the National Weather Service issuing a Wind Chill Warning for the entire state.

Up north, wind chills were around 40 to 50 below. In the metro and southern Minnesota, they were around 30 below. Amid such cold, exposed skin can suffer frostbite in about 30 minutes.

Thursday's highs will struggle to climb into the low single digits. Overnight, the temperatures will again plunge below zero before rebounding Friday to the upper single digits.

The arctic chills will last until Sunday, when highs will climb back into the teens. By Tuesday, highs will be near 30 degrees.