Cold weather expected to last through the week

It's not just cold in the Cape Girardeau area -- it's downright frigid and likely to remain so at least until Sunday.

David Humphrey, lead forecaster at the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, said temperatures dipped to about 10 degrees early Monday morning, bringing the area's wind-chill factor to zero.

"Temperatures were basically around 10 degrees or single digits," he said, the result of a cold front that moved in Sunday afternoon.

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport reported a low temperature of 7 degrees Monday morning.

For the rest of the workweek, Humphrey predicted temperatures will reach daytime highs in the 30s and dip down into the 20s overnight. The temperature this morning should hit in the 10- to 15-degree range.

"The outlook (this week) is for another little burst of winter weather coming in late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning and then another Thursday into Friday," he said.

During the Tuesday-to-Wednesday period, a minor accumulation of snow is possible, or a mixture of snow and sleet or light freezing rain.

"This time of the year, that's not too far off the normal," Humphrey said.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the 30s by Saturday, but could rise to the 40s by Sunday.

ljones@semissourian.com

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