Wind Chill Advisory Issued For Thursday Morning In Lakeville

LAKEVILLE, MN — Dangerously cold wind chills are due to return to Lakeville on Thursday morning as an arctic air mass sweeps across Minnesota.

The National Weather Service issued a wind chill advisory for Dakota County and much of Minnesota that runs from midnight to noon Thursday. Wind chills are forecast to drop as low as 30 degrees below zero, the NWS said.

Wind chills that low "could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes," according to NWS forecasters, who are urging residents to wear appropriate clothing and use caution while outside Thursday.

Thursday's bitter cold is part of an arctic air mass that reached Minnesota on Tuesday night and is expected to linger for several days, the NWS said.

Temperatures are expected to climb into the teens on Friday, though there is a 70 percent chance of snow, with up to 2 inches possible, forecasts show.

Here's the National Weather Service's forecast for Lakeville this week:

Thursday morning: Clear, with a low around -12. Wind chill values as low as -26. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Thursday: Sunny and cold, with a high near 1. Wind chill values as low as -26. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon.

Thursday night: Clear, with a low around -11. Wind chill values as low as -25. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the evening.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 16. South wind 10 to 15 mph.

Friday night: Snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a temperature rising to around 17 by 3 a.m. South wind 10 to 15 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a temperature falling to around 9 by 5 p.m. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

Saturday night: A 30 percent chance of snow after midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around -4. West northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 10. North northwest wind around 5 mph becoming west in the afternoon.

Sunday night: A 40 percent chance of snow, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around -1. West wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.