Snow to end the week, bitterly cold air moves in Sunday and will linger for quite awhile

Skies remain clear Thursday night into Friday morning before clouds quickly increase from the west. We’ll go from mostly cloudy Friday morning to the likelihood of snow Friday afternoon.

There is valid concern for the potential of difficult to hazardous travel Friday afternoon through evening, yet there is a great deal of uncertainty in exactly where snow develops and how much will fall. Snow will be accompanied by a strong wind with gusts nearing 40mph Friday afternoon to early evening.

At this time, amounts for southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa look to be in the 2 to 4 inch range. Closer to I-35, from Owatonna to Albert Lea and Mason City, amounts look to stay in the 1 to 3 inch range. With that said, this will be a very fluid forecast going into Friday and forecast snowfall totals will be adjusted as necessary. Some, especially closer to I-35, may not see any snow at all while amounts closer to the Mississippi River may exceed 5 inches.

Snow looks to linger for some on Saturday and wrap up by the afternoon.

Behind this wave of snow potential Friday into Saturday, very cold air starts moving back into the region Saturday night. Temperatures will drop below zero Sunday morning and stay in the single digits Sunday afternoon. That will continue through almost all of next week as bitterly cold, arctic air settles in and takes up residence through at least Thursday.