Winter just won’t quit: Area weather shows no signs of warming
Published 10:56 am Thursday, February 27, 2014
Snow drifts over piles of snow behind Target in Thursday’s high winds. The winds were responsible for several postponements Thursday night, including Austin’s first-round boys’ basketball game, which has been moved to tonight at Packer gym. — Eric Johnson
Another polar blast has Austin chilled to the bone during a winter season that never seems to end.
Temperatures will struggle to break zero Thursday, with a high forecasted at 4 below, as the National Weather Service posted a wind chill advisory for Mower County. A wind chill warning is in effect for the north and central regions of the state.
The state was wrapped in double-digit subzero temperatures early Thursday — even without the wind chill factor, which is expected to hit 31 below tonight in Austin.
At least someone is happy about the continued winter weather. A snowman stands in front of El Mariachi’s Mexican restaurant.
Relatively few schools canceled classes because of the dangerous temperatures, but some delayed the start by two hours, including Hayfield, LeRoy-Ostrander and Southland schools. Hayfield’s buses are only driving on plowed roads.
Forecasters say that even with the sunshine, it will be a slow climb out of the freezing temperatures.
A winter weather advisory was in effect Wednesday evening in the county, with gusts peaking at 36 mph around 8 p.m., according to Tom Stangeland, National Weather Service hydrometeorological technician.
The weather service expects another storm to dump 1-2 inches on Austin Friday, and expects another 1-2 inches on Saturday. The high on Friday will be near 11, and it will top out around 3 on Saturday.
—The Associated Press contributed to this report.