Although the snowflakes may have stopped falling, residents still should take precautions against the bitter cold expected to persist through the holiday weekend. Relief from the cold is coming, though. Temperatures are expected to rise to unseasonably warm levels by the start of the new year. As of Friday morning, the Dubuque Regional Airport had recorded 2.9 inches of snow in the previous 36 hours, with reports across the city ranging from 2.3 inches to 3.7 inches. East Dubuque received 3.8 inches of snow, while Platteville and Guttenberg both reported 4 inches of snow, among the highest totals in the area. Wind chill values in the Dubuque area had been hovering around 30 degrees below zero, with wind speeds at about 30 miles per hour. As of Friday afternoon, the highest wind gust for Dubuque was recorded at 47 miles per hour at 1:45 p.m. Area residents can expect air temperatures in the single digits above and below zero, with wind chill values as low as 25 degrees below zero on Christmas Eve. The predicted high temperature for Christmas Day is 9 degrees.
