Bitter cold arrives through midweek

TONIGHT

Cloudy skies will persist, with flurries or isolated snow showers possible, especially in northern and southern parts of the area. Temperatures will drop into the upper teens to near 20, with north winds at 10 to 20 mph. Watch for slick spots where light precipitation may occur.

TOMORROW

Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers and flurries, particularly during the morning. Light accumulations may occur, especially south of I-70. Temperatures will remain frigid, falling through the day and reaching the teens by late afternoon. Wind chills as low as -5 are expected, with west northwest winds at 10 to 15 mph, gusting to 25 mph.

TOMORROW NIGHT

Partly cloudy and extremely cold. Lows will fall to near or below zero, with wind chill values between -15 and -25. Winds from the west northwest will range from 10 to 15 mph, adding to the bitter chill. An Extreme Cold Watch is in effect.

MONDAY

Sunny but very cold, with highs in the single digits to low teens. Wind chills will remain in the -10 to -20 range for much of the day as west winds blow at 8 to 10 mph.

MONDAY NIGHT

Partly cloudy with lows near zero, though localized areas may dip below zero. Wind chills could again approach -15 with calm winds from the west southwest around 5 mph.

TUESDAY

Mostly sunny but brutally cold, with highs only reaching the upper single digits to near 10. West winds at 5 to 8 mph will keep wind chills subzero.

TUESDAY NIGHT

Clear skies and the coldest night of the season so far. Lows will range from -5 to -10, with light and variable winds allowing for dangerous radiative cooling.

WEDNESDAY

Sunny and slightly warmer, with highs reaching the upper teens to near 20. Light south winds at 6 to 9 mph may bring some relief.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid to upper teens. South winds will persist at 8 to 10 mph, keeping conditions less frigid than earlier nights.

7 DAY FORECAST

A bitterly cold start to the week will dominate, with wind chill values plunging to dangerous levels Sunday night through Tuesday night. By midweek, temperatures will moderate slightly but remain below average, with highs in the teens and 20s. A late-week system could bring a return of snow or wintry precipitation, along with slightly milder air, as highs near freezing by the weekend.