Bitterly cold through Friday morning, a wintry mix of precipitation Friday night into Saturday

Active weather continues for the region from this week into next. Cold, arctic air lingers through Friday, and the coldest day of the season so far is ahead for Thursday. Wind chills were in the teens below zero Wednesday afternoon, and will range from -15° to -25° Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.

Actual temperatures in the single digits below zero are in store Thursday morning. With some sunshine and a lighter wind, temperatures will remain in the single digits above zero Thursday afternoon. Other than the cold air in place, the weather is pretty quiet through Thursday and most of Friday.

Another storm system moves into the region Friday night and will affect us through Saturday morning. Southern Minnesota and northern Iowa are in for a mix of rain, freezing rain, and snow. There are still a lot of details to iron out with this system, but if you’re planning on traveling in this time frame, keep an eye on the forecast. At least some minor icing around the ABC 6 Weather First area seems probable, especially Saturday morning.

Temperatures aren’t going to be as cold from this weekend through next week, and will be a bit more typical of mid-December. Highs return to around the freezing mark Saturday and will top out again in the 30s Sunday afternoon.

There is the potential of another passing storm system to start next week. Once again, a mix of rain and snow appears most probable.