Frigid air descending on Minnesota is already interrupting some Midwestern travel plans.

Amtrak will be canceling some of its Empire Builder and Borealis services, both of which serve St. Paul’s Union Depot, this weekend “due to forecasted winter weather,” the company said on X Tuesday.

An extreme cold warning is issued for 9 p.m. Thursday through 11 a.m. Friday as wind chills of -35 to -45 are expected. An extreme cold watch also begins Thursday and is expected to last until noon on Saturday with temperatures dipping as low as -21.

“For Thursday afternoon through Saturday morning, we see our coldest air since 2019,” the Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service said on X.

The Empire Builder, which travels between Chicago and Seattle daily, canceled eastbound and westbound trains from Wednesday through Saturday, “for the safety of Amtrak customers and employees,” the company said.

The Borealis service, which travels daily between St. Paul and Chicago, is canceled for Thursday and Friday.

“Customers are being offered rebooking options and refunds without penalties. The safety of our customers and our team members remains our highest priority,” Amtrak said in a statement. “We are also aligning with and supporting state and local authorities who are advising the public to avoid travel during this winter storm.”

Here’s a closer look at the Twin Cities weekend forecast as of Wednesday.

Thursday: Mainly cloudy with winds up to 15 mph. High of 10 and an overnight low of -21. Extreme cold warning begins at 9 p.m.
Friday: Extreme cold warning in effect until 11 a.m. with winds around 10 mph. High of -10 and an overnight low of -20.
Saturday: Frigid weather with intervals of cloud and sunshine. High of -1 and an overnight low of -8. Extreme cold watch in effect until noon.
Sunday: Bitterly cold with a high of 4 and an overnight low of -12.

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