These hearty souls braved subzero wind chills Thursday in downtown Marquette. (Journal photo by Antonio Anderson)

MARQUETTE — Residents and visitors alike in the Upper Peninsula are bundling up as the coldest weather yet this winter is here.

Thursday was the coldest day this winter with wind chill values dipping to between minus 5 and minus 25 with gusts up to 25 mph in some parts of the U.P.

But warmer weather is on the way, with an upcoming forecast of rain instead of snow.

At the National Weather Service office in Marquette County, forecaster Ben Warren reported the bad news about Thursday.

“The interior west was very cold with Ironwood sitting at minus 11. The eastern U.P. was around 11 to 13, and up to 15 near the lakeshore. In Marquette County, Sawyer International Airport was at minus 2, and the Coast Guard station was only at 4,” said Warren. “Lake temperatures are still pretty warm. In the east they are at the mid to low 40s and just under 40 in the west. (Thursday) morning was definitely the coldest of the year, and (last night was) even colder.”

Marquette, being cradled by Lake Superior, saw warmer weather than most of the U.P. with highs Thursday of 13 and lows of around 3, with wind chill bringing it down to minus 10 with 25 mph gusts.

Though this weekend holds highs of 34 to 40, with a good chance of rain that has the potential to freeze overnight as the lows will fall just under the freezing point. This weather looks to carry on until next week.

Ironwood had among the colder weather in the Upper Peninsula, with a high of zero yesterday and a low of minus 11.

Winds were gusting at 20 mph and the wind chill brought it down to minus 25. Though the weekend will hold warmer weather, with highs of 37 toward the end of the weekend with lows falling between 25 and 30.

Other parts of the U.P. fell between Marquette and Ironwood’s temperatures Thursday, and fall into similar ranges of temperature in the week to come.

Antonio Anderson can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. His email address is aanderson@miningjournal.net.