BLOOMINGTON - Some of the coldest temperatures this winter will be rolling in Central Illinois today, just 11 days after the Twin Cities reached a near-record high of 66 degrees.

Dan Kelly, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Lincoln, said as the cold air from Canada approaches, it also will bring a chance for some snow showers this afternoon.

Daytime temperatures in the upper 20s will plummet to a low of 4 degrees tonight, Kelly said. Brisk winds will take wind chills below zero.

Temperatures aren't expected to climb higher than 7 degrees on Saturday. Northwest winds of about 15 mph will create wind chills as low as 18 degrees below zero.

And it only gets colder Saturday night. The temperature is expected to dip to 4 degrees below zero with a wind chill of 20 degrees below zero.

That's near the lowest temperatures recorded so far this season. Kelly said a low of 3 degrees below zero was recorded at the Central Illinois Regional Airport on Jan. 3. A National Weather Service observer in Normal recorded 5 degrees below zero on Jan. 2 and 4 degrees below zero on Jan. 3.

With temperatures that low, Jennifer Wake, manager of the Humane Society of Central Illinois, reminded pet owners to be sure outdoor pets have adequate shelter, such as a dog house with a heated pad or straw; a heated water bowl; and food at least twice a day to keep a regular body temperature.

"Ideally they should bring their dogs inside," she said.

Temperatures are expected to warm up slightly Sunday and remain at daytime highs in the 20s through the bulk of next week. Night temperatures are expected to be in the single digits.

Saturday's forecast has prompted Illinois Wesleyan University to provide a shuttle service between the Memorial Center and the Hansen Student Center parking lot during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Fellowship Luncheon.

The shuttle will loop from Memorial Center, 104 University St., to the Hansen Student Center, 300 Beecher St., starting at noon.

The trace of freezing rain and snow that fell on Central Illinois of Thursday contributed to a handful of accidents on pavement that was slick in places. Area police agencies said no injuries were reported in those accidents.