
Never Before Used Weather Warning Could Be Issued This Weekend In Minnesota
It's going to be really cold across Minnesota this weekend and at the start of next week.
So cold, it could prompt weather warnings about the expected extreme temperatures from the National Weather Service.
This upcoming brutally cold could prompt the National Weather Service to issue a new kind of weather alert never before used in Minnesota.
What is the new weather warning that could be issued in Minnesota this weekend?
With some pretty aggressive Arctic temperatures in the forecasted expected to be made worse by windy conditions, the "feels like" wind chill values are expected to be in dangerous territory for a few days across the state.
Seasoned Minnesotans would normally expect a wind chill warning to be issued to warn the public about these dangerously cold conditions. That won't be the case this time around.
READ MORE: Extreme cold weather experiments you can do to show just how cold it is
Instead of a wind chill warning, the National Weather Service would issue a brand new type of warning, known as an extreme cold warning.
Extreme cold watches and warnings are the new terminology being used when temperatures and/or wind chills sink into dangerous territory - like what could happen this weekend. This replaces the long-previously used wind chill watches and warnings.
What is an extreme cold warning, and why get rid of wind chill warnings?
The National Weather Service is going through a multi-year revamp of the various weather alerts they issue. Last year, they announced they would be getting rid of wind chill advisories, wind chill watches, and wind chill warnings and replacing them.

The reason for the change is simply for clarity and consistency. In Minnesota, it can be dangerously cold without any wind at all; so rather than using terminology that mentions wind, the focus of these new alerts is now just on the cold conditions - regardless of whether it's just air temperature or wind chill.
The new alerts are as follows:
- Extreme Cold Watch: This new type of watch will combine wind chill watches and extreme cold watches, indicating that extreme cold is possible, but not yet certain or not yet happening.
- Extreme Cold Warning: This new type of warning replaces wind chill warnings and extreme cold warnings. It indicates that severe, dangerous cold conditions are present or about to arrive.
- Cold Weather Advisory: This replaces wind chill advisories. It indicates cold conditions that are less severe than that for an Extreme Cold Warning, but are still hazardous.
I get into more of the details on the change to these alerts in my previous story on the subject, which you can read here.
How cold is it going to get in Minnesota?
It will vary from place to place across the state, but windy conditions on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday are going to "enhance" the arriving cold air to make it feel dangerously cold, with the worst of it expected Sunday and Monday.
The warmest (air temperatures) that are expected to be seen across the state are in the single digits above zero on Saturday, while it will be closer to -10 at its warmest on Sunday and Monday.
Add in the expected wind, and it could feel more like -30 to -40 at times across Minnesota on Sunday and Monday.
BRRRR!
So, if the National Weather Service does actually feel it is necessary, don't be surprised by the new "cold weather watch" that would warn of impending cold and the new "cold weather warning" to let you know it's happening, or going to happen.
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Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper
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