Snow and arctic cold to descend across Brainerd lakes area

Light to moderate snow is expected to fall Thursday and Friday nights, Jan. 26-27, in the Brainerd lakes area.

But the real story is that it's going to get cold.

Those attending the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Saturday, Jan. 28, on Gull Lake's Hole-in-the-Day Bay are advised to bundle up as temperatures will barely climb above zero and will drop below zero overnight.

One to three inches of snow is forecast from 8-10 p.m. Thursday in Cass County and the western and northern halves of Crow Wing County, according to the National Weather Service in Duluth.

The eastern part of Crow Wing County may see snow from 10 p.m. to midnight Friday.

Light snow is expected to fall at .25 to .5 inches per hour from 9 p.m. Thursday to 3 p.m. Friday in the Brainerd area. Totals are estimated at just 1-2 inches for the Walker area in Cass County and 1 inch in the Brainerd area.

Contributed / National Weather Service in Duluth

However, arctic air is expected to bring dangerous wind chills of 20 below to 40 below zero Friday night and through much of next week, the weather service said.

This will mark the longest period of arctic air and subzero temperatures so far this winter.

Following is the National Weather Service forecast for the next week, Jan. 26-Feb. 2:

Contributed / National Weather Service in Duluth

• Thursday night, Jan. 26: Snow, mainly between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. Patchy, blowing snow between 10 p.m. and midnight. Temperature rising to around 23 by 5 a.m. Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 20 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
• Friday, Jan. 27: A 20% chance of snow before 7 a.m. Patchy, blowing snow between 7 a.m. and noon. Mostly cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 10 by 5 p.m. Blustery, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
• Friday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 8 below zero. Blustery, with a northwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
• Saturday, Jan. 28: Partly sunny and cold, with a high near 2. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
• Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18 below zero. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
• Sunday, Jan. 29: Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 0. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
• Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18 below zero. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
• Monday, Jan. 30: Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 2 below zero. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
• Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 16 below zero. Southwest wind around 10 mph.
• Tuesday, Jan. 31: Mostly sunny, with a high near 7. Southwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
• Tuesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 9 below zero. Southwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
• Wednesday, Feb. 1: Mostly sunny, with a high near 7. Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
• Wednesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 15 below zero. Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
• Thursday, Feb. 2: Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 5. Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.