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MN weather: Falling temperatures Thursday, Extreme cold for Friday
An extreme cold warning is in effect starting Thursday evening. Jared Piepenburg has everything you need to know about the cold.
(FOX 9) - An extreme cold warning will go into effect across Minnesota starting Thursday evening as temperatures drop to dangerously low levels.
Extreme cold warning
What we know:
The extreme cold warning goes into effect Thursday evening until Friday at noon. The warning will be followed by an extreme cold watch that will be in effect for the latter half of Friday through Saturday.
But, Minnesota isn't alone in feeling the cold. The warning also stretches into the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and northern Kansas. At the same time, 35 states, including Texas, are bracing for a major winter storm.
What's next:
Temps will begin to drop during the day on Thursday with the air temp pushing from around 6 degrees at noon on Thursday to -10 degrees at 7 p.m.
By 7 a.m. on Friday, the air temperature is expected to be around -19 degrees while the windchill could be 40 below zero. It doesn't get much better on Friday as the high temperature for the day in the Twin Cities isn't expected to exceed -8 degrees.
What you can do:
In temperatures like this, frost bite is possible in as little as 15 minutes or less on exposed skin. If you are going out and braving the cold, you need to bundle up.
As for your furry friends, experts recommend pet owners bring their cats indoors any time temps hit single digs and only take dogs out for quick bathroom breaks. The amount of time a dog can stand outside in frigid temperatures depends on their age, health, size, and breed. Young and elderly dogs, along with pets that have thin coats, are extra susceptible to the cold. Keep an eye on your pet outdoors for signs of being too cold, like shivering or lifting its paws. More tips are available here.
The backstory:
An extreme cold warning is self-explanatory, but if you haven't heard of that term before that is because the new warning has replaced wind chill warnings.