Here's the forecast from the National Weather Service Office in Chanhassen:

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 15. Wind chill values between -8 and zero. Northwest wind between 13 and 15 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 3. Wind chill values between -5 and zero. Northwest wind between 6 and 9 mph becoming calm.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 23. Wind chill values between -4 and 6. Calm wind becoming south southeast between 7 and 10 mph.

A warm front will push into southern Minnesota this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service Office in Chanhassen. Very moist and unstable air will flow into the region today. As a result...thunderstorms will be on the increase. A few storms could become severe over central and southern Minnesota this morning and produce large hail.

The National Weather Service office in Chanhassen is predicting a low of 34 degrees this coming Friday night. That's cold enough to do some serious damage to perennials, tropicals and other sensitive plants.

The University of Minnesota Extension Service offers these tips for protecting perennials from winter's wrath:

State officials have issued a caution about air quality in the Twin Cities for the next few days. Details can be found at aqi.pca.state.mn.us/

The National Weather Service Office in Chanhassen has issued the following weather outlook for Thursday and beyond:

The forecast for the upcoming week, which ironically enough is Severe Weather Awareness Week for Minnesota and Wisconsin