Honestly, if you've lived in Minneapolis or St. Paul for more than a week, you know the drill. One minute you're scraping a thin glaze of ice off your windshield in a light hoodie, and the next, you’re reconsidering every life choice that led you to a climate where the air literally hurts your face.
Right now, we are staring down a Twin Cities 10 day weather forecast that is a textbook example of Minnesota's atmospheric mood swings. We’re moving from "manageable" straight into a deep freeze that would make a polar bear reach for a scarf.
The Immediate Outlook: Snow is Coming (Again)
Let’s get the messy part out of the way. Today, Wednesday, January 14, was actually decent. We saw a high of 17°F with some sun, which, in the dead of a Twin Cities winter, feels like a Caribbean vacation.
But don't get used to it.
The National Weather Service out in Chanhassen has already flagged a Weather Impact Alert starting Thursday afternoon. We’re looking at a high near 29°F tomorrow—practically balmy—but that warmth comes with a price. A trough is deepening over the Great Lakes, and it's bringing a messy wave of snow showers.
Expect the flakes to start flying just after the Thursday morning commute. It's not going to be a "shut down the schools" kind of blizzard, but with winds kicking up to 40-50 mph by Friday afternoon, the blowing snow is going to turn the afternoon drive into a white-knuckle crawl.
Friday stays hovering around 26°F or 29°F depending on which model you trust, but the bottom drops out as soon as the sun goes down.
The Weekend Freeze: Welcome to Single Digits
If you have plans on Saturday, January 17, or Sunday, January 18, make sure they involve a fireplace. We are entering what meteorologists call a "frigid period."
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- Saturday: High of only 7°F. Lows around -3°F.
- Sunday: A slight "recovery" to 15°F, but the overnight low sinks to -6°F.
That’s the thing about the Twin Cities 10 day weather forecast—it's the overnight lows that get you. When the wind chill dips into the -20s, your pipes start to sweat and your car battery starts making excuses.
Monday, January 19, looks even more brutal. We might struggle to hit a high of 2°F. It’s that dry, biting northwest flow that just hangs over Hennepin and Ramsey counties like a cold wet blanket. Except the blanket is made of ice.
What the Models Say for Next Week
Looking further out into the week of January 20, things get... interesting. Usually, these cold snaps break after three days, but this one is stubborn.
Tuesday and Wednesday (Jan 20-21) bring more light snow chances. Temperatures should moderate back into the teens and maybe the low 20s. It’s not "warm," but compared to 2°F, it feels like a victory.
There is a 45% chance of more significant snow by next Friday, January 23. The humidity is projected to hit nearly 100% then, which usually means the air is ready to dump whatever moisture it's holding.
Dealing With the "January Thaw" Myth
Everyone talks about the January thaw. We had a bit of it on the 12th and 13th when it hit the low 40s. That was your gift. Now, we pay the tax.
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The current La Niña pattern means we’re seeing roughly 77% of these events result in colder-than-average temps for our area. We are firmly in that 77% right now.
Survival Tactics: Beyond the Parka
You’ve heard "dress in layers" until you're blue in the face. But there’s a science to it that most people mess up.
Stop wearing cotton. Seriously.
If you’re shoveling the driveway on Friday during those 40 mph gusts and you sweat even a little bit, cotton holds that moisture. You’ll be freezing in ten minutes. Switch to synthetic base layers or merino wool. It’s the difference between a miserable 20-minute dog walk and a pleasant one.
Also, keep a "winter kit" in your trunk. I’m not talking about a spare tire. I mean a real wool blanket, a small shovel, and some of those HotHands packets. If you slide off into a ditch on I-94 during the Friday snow squalls, you’ll be glad you have them.
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Actionable Next Steps for the Next 10 Days
Don't just watch the clouds; prepare your house and gear.
- Check your tires tonight. Pressure drops when the temp tanks. If your "low tire" light isn't on yet, it probably will be by Sunday morning.
- Seal the drafts. Grab some of that cheap plastic film for your windows if you live in an older South Minneapolis duplex. It actually works.
- Salt the walk early. With the rain-to-snow transition happening Thursday, getting some grit down before the flash freeze on Friday night will save your tailbone.
- Gas up. Keep your tank at least half full. It prevents fuel line freeze-up and gives you a safety net if you get stuck in traffic during a snow alert.
The Twin Cities 10 day weather forecast is a reminder that winter in Minnesota isn't a season; it's a test of endurance. We'll get through the sub-zero Monday and the messy Friday snow. Just keep the wool socks handy and the snow blower gassed up.