Sub-zero cold could be worst in generation
Baby, it’s more than just cold outside.
A National Weather Service wind chill warning remains in effect until 9 a.m. Thursday, with overnight temperatures of minus 27 degrees being forecast for Tuesday. Ice-bucket temperatures of minus eight on Tuesday morning plunged throughout the day.
Northwesterly winds of 15 to 25 MPH Monday and Tuesday were expected to continue into Wednesday, creating dangerous wind chills.
The National Weather Service called this week’s polar plunge Minnesota’s coldest since January of 1996.
Wednesday’s expected sub-zero weather will be the seventh-consecutive day that the mercury has plunged below zero. Since January 19, Tracy has seen just two days, Jan. 22-23, when temperatures stayed above zero. The late-January cold is a dramatic contrast from the first half of the month, which brought eight days of above-freezing weather.
Snowfall Saturday through Monday totaled 7.6.” The light, dry snow, coupled with persistent winds, often made travel difficult, especially Sunday night and Monday morning. In open areas, winds created rock-hard drifts across roads.
Challenging road conditions resulted in Tracy schools starting two hours late Thursday. An announcement was made Sunday night that schools who open two hours late Monday, but classes were called off Monday morning.
The decision was made to not open schools Tuesday and Wednesday, because of the severe cold. (See related story).