Wind Chill Advisory Starts at Midnight in Minnetonka

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Twin Cities/Chanhassen has issued a wind chill advisory for Minnetonka.

Wind chills could drop to between -20 and -30 from midnight Monday until noon Tuesday.

"A wind chill advisory means that very cold air and strong winds will combine to generate low wind chills," according to a statement from the NWS. "This will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia if precautions are not taken. If you must venture outdoors, make sure you wear a hat and gloves."

Sustained winds are expected to range from 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

After the cold temperatures blow through Tuesday and Wednesday, snow is in the Thursday forecast.

Here is the full NWS statement:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN

340 PM CST MON FEB 18 2013

...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS CONTINUING THIS EVENING ACROSS WESTERN

MINNESOTA...

STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 45 OR 50 MPH...HAVE PUSHED INTO WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA TODAY IN THE WAKE OF A COLD FRONT. THE STRONG WINDS HAVE PENETRATED THE CRUSTY TOP LAYER OF SNOW AND AS A RESULT...BLOWING SNOW HAS BECOME WIDESPREAD. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO BE OBSERVED NEAR AND WEST OF A LINE FROM ALEXANDRIA TO WILLMAR AND OLIVIA. FARTHER SOUTH AND EAST...VISIBILITIES ARE MUCH BETTER AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE NOT BEING OBSERVED. HOWEVER...TRAVEL IS STILL DIFFICULT IN STRETCHES DUE TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL THROUGHOUT THE EVENING...SO THE BLOWING SNOW SHOULD LEAD TO VERY SLICK ROADWAYS. FURTHERMORE...DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT.

MNZ043-044-050-051-060-069-076-077-082>085-091>093-190545-/O.NEW.KMPX.WC.Y.0005.130219T0600Z-130219T1800Z/

MORRISON-MILLE LACS-BENTON-SHERBURNE-HENNEPIN-SCOTT-LE SUEUR-RICE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LITTLE FALLS...PRINCETON...FOLEY...ELK RIVER...MINNEAPOLIS...SHAKOPEE...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...ST. JAMES...MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...ALBERT LEA

340 PM CST MON FEB 18 2013

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON CST TUESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED A WIND CHILL ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON CST TUESDAY.

* TIMING: AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT

* WIND CHILL VALUES: DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS OF 20 TO 30 BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF COLD TEMPERATURES AND STRONG WINDS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS...MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES.