National Weather Service issues Wind Chill Advisory for Christmas Day
(KMSP) - Minnesotans woke up to one of the coldest Christmases in more than 20 years Monday morning.
The National Weather Service issued a wind chill advisory for much of Minnesota and Wisconsin through Tuesday.
“Dangerously cold wind chills will build south across the area today and persist through Tuesday. A wind chill advisory is currently in effect for central Minnesota, extending into west central Wisconsin. This evening, the wind child advisory expands south to reach the Iowa border in south central Minnesota. All of the wind chill advisories continue through the day Tuesday,” according to the National Weather Service.
Despite the sunshine, wind chills are expected to be 20 to 35 degrees below zero throughout the day, the National Weather Service says. Wind chills in that range can cause frostbite to exposed skin in as little as 15 minutes. If you are planning to be outdoors, dress in layers, cover exposed skin and do not wear any wet clothing.
This is one of the coldest Christmases Minnesota has seen in more than 20 years. The coldest Christmas on record for the state was in 1996, when Minnesotans woke up to temperatures at 9 degrees below zero.
Monday’s cold temperatures will likely crack the top ten for coldest Dec. 25 on record for Minnesota.
Forty-nine percent of the country woke up to a a White Christmas on Monday morning, including much of Minnesota and west central Wisconsin. In Eau Claire, Minneapolis-St. Paul and St. Cloud, snow depths reached at least 1 inch.