Widespread subzero temps in Minnesota Thursday morning
After the coldest morning Twin Cities residents have felt since mid-February, temperatures gradually warm through Thursday afternoon and evening.
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Chris Shaffer was raised in Stillwater, Minnesota and left our great state for four years to attend the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where he earned degrees in Meteorology and Mass Communications.
Chris is an Emmy award-winning meteorologist and a proud member of the American Meteorological Society. He has been awarded the AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) designation. You may have seen him over the years doing the weather on television at KMSP FOX9 and WFTC/UPN 29. You may have also heard him back in his radio days on KOOL108, BOB100 (as Blaze Bodean), 104.1 The Point (as Cheeks), Cities 97, K102 (as Jack Wilde and himself) or KTLK.
It is no wonder why Chris is so passionate about Minnesota weather. His great uncle Wilbur was struck and killed by lightning while farming in southern Minnesota in the summer of 1952.
His family vehicle was once chased by a tornado near Maplewood, Minn. and one December on the way to Grandma and Grandpa's house, his family spent the night snowed in at a church in Winthrop, Minn., praying the blizzard would let up so they could get to Redwood Falls and open their presents the next morning.
Chris and his wife have family members all around the Twin Cities. And it's natural to forecast for the entire region with family in Pipestone, St. Cloud, Willmar, Sartell and Blooming Prairie just to name a few.
Chris loves the weather because it is always changing and is a constant challenge, much like raising his three daughters, who are as loud as a thunderstorm, pretty as a sunset and strong as a straight-line wind.
And who can forget the family pets? They've had guinea pigs, a hermit crab, a turtle, a salamander, a frog and several fish. They currently have two goldfish and their awesome Boston Terrier, Bailey.
After the coldest morning Twin Cities residents have felt since mid-February, temperatures gradually warm through Thursday afternoon and evening.
Clear skies are nice, but they will allow overnight temperatures to fall to a low of minus 6 degrees in the Twin Cities on Wednesday night. Feels-like temps will be closer to minus 15 to minus 20.
A cold pattern settles in across Minnesota Tuesday, with spotty light snow possible.
Minnesota's cold streak isn't going anywhere as temperatures stay below normal on Monday and throughout the week.
Minnesota's first winter storm of the season should move out Wednesday morning, but blowing snow and bitter cold will continue to make travel difficult in parts of the state.
On Monday evening, the first wave of a two-part storm arrives, bringing a few showers across southern Minnesota. Round two arrives Tuesday morning as rain for southern and central Minnesota and snow up north.
Temperatures will run 5 to 10 degrees above normal, with highs around 45 on Wednesday.
Thursday will be mild and partly sunny with highs in the mid-to-upper 50s.
After a stunning northern lights show Tuesday night, Minnesotans will get another chance to spot them on Wednesday.
A warming trend takes hold in the Twin Cities on Tuesday, with a stretch of quiet days ahead.
The work week will get off to a cold start in Minnesota before a steady warm-up in the coming days.
Wednesday will feel cooler in the Twin Cities with highs in the mid 50s, temperatures still remain above average for early November.
High temperatures will be in the 50s through Thursday. There's a chance the Twin Cities will hit 60 degrees on Tuesday.
Thursday kicks off a mostly cloudy stretch that will last through Saturday morning, when the sun returns.
Rain will linger for some parts of Minnesota on Tuesday.