Minnesota Weather: 2022 Begins With Dangerous Cold

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Minnesota is bringing in the new year with a blast of arctic air.

Nearly the entire state is under a wind chill warning from midnight to noon on New Year’s Day.

In the Twin Cities, residents woke up to temperatures ten degrees below zero, and the area will experience a stretch of 40 hours with temperatures below zero. But the radar is still very clear, and skies will be blue.

The high temperature is expected to be about 2 degrees below zero in the metro, with wind chill values anywhere from 25 to 18 degrees below.

Those braving the cold to watch the NHL Winter Classic at Target Field on Saturday will need to seriously bundle up. When the puck drops at 6 p.m., the air temperature will be 6 below, and feels-like temperatures will be below 20 degrees.

According to Dr. Scott Cline, of St. Cloud Hospital, once wind chill factors drop below -15, frostbite and injury can occur on exposed skin in 30 minutes. The colder it gets, the quicker frostbite can set in.

“People need to be aware when they start getting symptoms,” he said. “You start feeling your hands and feet, cold and then when they are numb and tingly and you can’t feel them anymore, that’s when you need to get yourself in a safer situation.”

When it’s this cold, the National Weather Service recommends wearing at least three layers and making sure no skin is exposed. Outdoor sleeping bags are a good idea, as well as ski goggles.

Those going outside are also encouraged to limit how much they drink, as alcohol masks the signs of frostbite and hypothermia, and make people feel warm even when the body is not.

Looking ahead, temperatures look to rebound back into the 20s on Monday. The warmth looks to continue until Wednesday, when a system could bring the next chance of snow. After that, it looks like Minnesota will see another shot of arctic air.

Source: New feed