Folks in the Northeast will be bracing for a large Nor'easter that is expected to take shape on Friday into Saturday with heavy snowfall (for some) and near hurricane-force wind gusts along the coast. Here's the weather outlook from AM Friday to midday Sunday. The heaviest snow is expected to fall from PM Friday to PM Saturday.

Here's the snowfall potential through the weekend, which shows heavy snowfall potential across parts of the Northeast. The first map below is from the ECMWF (Euro), which shows heavier and more widespread snow from the Delmarva Peninsula to eastern Massachusetts and into Maine. The GFS (American) model is a little farther east, but both are still showing upwards of 1ft. to 2ft. amounts possible along the coast.

Here's the weather outlook closer to home through the weekend and into early next week. The weather looks pretty quiet over the next few days, but there is a potential storm brewing by the middle part of next week. It's still too early to tell what may happen, but things could get a little more interesting somewhere in the Midwest by Tuesday and Wednesday. Stay tuned...

The latest snow depth reports show a fairly decent base across the region. The Metro was reporting around 8" as of Wednesday, but has you head north, there are some double digit reports. According to the MN DNR Snowmobile and cross-country ski trails are generally reported to be in good to very good conditions across the northern half of the state. Trails in the southern half of the state are reported to poor condition with little to now snow on the ground there.

See more from the MN DNR HERE:

Here's a look at how much snow we've seen so far this season. Note the Twin Cities has seen nearly 33", which is nearly +5.0" above average. Grand Forks, ND has seen nearly 40" of snow, which is nearly 1ft above average! Heading south into South Dakota, many locations there are below average and more than 1ft below average in Pierre and Huron. Folks in southern Wisconsin are also nearly 1ft below average, including Madison and Milwaukee.

Here's the 850mb temp anomaly through early next week. Note that temps will still be quite chilly with below average temps on Friday. However, as we head into the weekend, warmer temps will move back in. There is also a potential storm system brewing across parts of the Central US during the middle part of next week with colder air pouring in on the back side late next week. Stay tuned...

The weather outlook for Minneapolis on Friday shows colder temps in place with highs only warming into the teens. Feels like temps will be sub-zero much of the day under mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies.

The hourly temps for Minneapolis on Friday show temps starting in sub-zero range with even colder feels like temps. High temps will warm to near 10F, which will be well below average for late January.

Feels like temps for Minneapolis on Friday will be quite cold through much of the day. In fact, it'll feel more like the teens below zero through much of the morning with readings sneaking above 0F later in the afternoon.

High temps across the region on Friday will be running nearly -5F to -15F below average for the end of January. Temps across the Dakotas will be above average by nearly +5F to +15F degrees.

The extended temperature outlook for Minneapolis over the next several days shows temps running well below average by nearly -10F to -15F. Highs this weekend will be closer to average and above average by early next week.

Temps will get back to above average levels early next week, but there is a potential snow event midweek with well below average temps returning during the 2nd half of next week.

According to the ECMWF & GFS extended temperature outlook, temperatures will return to near normal levels over the weekend and will be above average early next week. The second half of next week will be much colder with highs running well below average once agian.

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook shows below average temps across much of the eastern half of the nation. It could be a cold start to February for many.

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, more active weather could be found along the international border, the East Coast and the Gulf Coast. Meanwhile, drier weather will settled back in across the Western US.

"Extensive and widespread severe property damage, life-saving options will be needed. Results in extreme disruptions to daily life". That describes "Extreme Impacts", according to NOAA's Winter Storm Severity Index. And that's what residents of coastal New England may be facing as a powerful nor'easter strafes the coast. Models print out 1-3 feet of snow at Boston, with 50-60 mph wind gusts, impassable roads and power outages. A wild storm.

Closer to home I see no impending weather drama. A few more hearty slaps of numbing air are shaping up and long range models show more subzero out breaks into mid-February. In fact the Polar Vortex may pay us another visit within 1-2 weeks. We won't be retiring our parkas anytime soon. Old Man Winter is making up for a mild autumn and December tornadoes.

A storm passing to our south may brush Minnesota with a few inches of powder late Wednesday into Thursday next week, but the pattern isn't ripe for mega-storms.

A 3-foot blizzard in Boston? I have snow envy.

FRIDAY: Cold sunshine. Winds: SW 5-10. High: 11.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly Cloudy and quiet. Winds: SE 5. Low: 7.

SATURDAY: Some sun, trending milder. Winds: SW 8-13. High: 27.

SUNDAY: Plenty of sunshine, quiet. Winds: S 5-10. Wake-up: 11. High: 20.

MONDAY: Cloudy, light snow up north. Winds: SE 8-13. Wake-up: 15 High: 31.

TUESDAY: Partly sunny, a colder wind. Winds: NW 10-20. Wake-up: 15. High: 19.

WEDNESDAY: Cold with light snow late. Winds: N 10-20 Wake-up: -1. High: 5.

THURSDAY: Few inches of powder. Tricky travel? Winds: N 15-25. Wake-up: 0. High: 4.

January 28th

1914: A very rare thunderstorm (for this time of year) is observed at Maple Plain during the evening. Heavy thunder and vivid lightning was observed.

1846: Temperatures are not too shabby for a January day. The high in the Twin Cities was 50, which is the normal high for the beginning of March.

January 28th

Average High: 25F (Record: 47F set in 1892)

Average Low: 8F (Record: -29F set in 1873)

Record Rainfall: 0.56" set in 1909

Record Snowfall: 4.0" set in 1912

January 28th

Sunrise: 7:36am

Sunset: 5:15pm

Hours of Daylight: ~9 hours & 38 minutes

Daylight GAINED since yesterday: ~ 2 minute & 25 seconds

Daylight GAINED since Winter Solstice (December 21st): ~ 52 minutes

3.0 Days Before New Moon

The weather outlook on Friday shows below average temps in the eastern half of the nation with heavy snow developing later in the day across the East Coast. Meanwhile, it'll be warm, dry and breezy in Southern California.

The weather outlook as we head into the weekend shows a large storm system developing along the East Coast. This storm system will be responsible for heavy snow for some in the Northeast with very strong winds that could gust close to hurricane force for some. Meanwhile, many locations in the Western US will stay dry through the weekend.

According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, areas of heavy precipitation will be possible across the Lower Mississippi Valley and also along the East Coast. There will also be areas of heavy precipitation in the Pacific Northwest.

Here's the extended snowfall potential as we head into the early part of February. Note the heavy snow chance this weekend along the coast in the Northeast. However, there could be another decent snow event that develops in the Central US by the middle part of next week. Stay tuned...

"A new image of the heart of the Milky Way is revealing mysterious structures we've never seen before. Taken using the ultra-sensitive MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa, the images show nearly 1,000 strands of magnetic filaments, measuring up to 150 light-years in length, in surprisingly neat and regular arrangements. That's 10 times the number of these strands that we knew about previously, adding important statistical data that might finally help us understand their nature, a puzzle since their discovery in the 1980s. "We have studied individual filaments for a long time with a myopic view," says astrophysicist Farhad Yusef-Zadeh of Northwestern University, who initially discovered the filaments."

See more From Science Alert HERE:

"When strong winter storms hit, many people stay safe and warm indoors until the poor weather has cleared up. However, if you don't have any rock salt for melting the ice that's sure to form on your driveway and walkway, then you might try to clear the snow at multiple points throughout the storm to prevent a layer of ice from forming. This is one effective way to keep your property's high-traffic areas ice-free, but it's time-consuming, physically demanding, and exposes you to severe winter weather and the risk of slipping and falling on ice. Instead, consider using an alternative method to ensure your porch, driveway, and walkway remain clear of ice even when stores run out of rock salt. Even when rock salt is readily available, it's still preferable to use a different method for melting ice. This is because rock salt damages asphalt, concrete, grass, and other vegetation. It also dries out pets' paws, is dangerous to children, and can corrode parts of your vehicle. To help protect your home, pets, kids, and the environment, consider trying one of these seven ways to melt ice without salt or ice melt."

See more from Bob Vila HERE:

"Sea turtles on Reunion Island, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, are being fitted with special tags to help researchers collect data about cyclones. Tropical cyclones have a devastating impact on the islands of the southwest Indian Ocean, including Madagascar, which is affected by an average of 1.5 cyclones a year. The most inhabited coastal areas are the most exposed, so predicting the cyclones' outcome and impacts is a major concern. Threatened by humans due to the affects of poaching and overexploitation, sea turtles are now helping to protect them. The special initiative, called STORM (Sea Turtles for Ocean Research and Monitoring) is a partnership between the Kelonia care centre and the Atmosphere and Cyclone Laboratory of the University of La Réunion. Over the past two years, around thirty turtles have been equipped with the tags and then released into the Indian Ocean. Last week another four joined them, after completing their recovery in Kelonia care centre. The tags weigh no more than 250g - 500g, ensuring they do not impact the behaviour of the turtles, which weigh between 50kg-105kg."

See more from Euro News HERE: