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Upper Midwest snow depth map shows solid snow cover in the Upper Midwest. Note the sharp cutoff to bare ground southwest of a Pierre to Omaha line.

20 is the new 40.

At least that's how it felt today outside the Huttner Weather Lab in full sun and light winds. It's amazing how 20 degrees above zero can feel so good after 20 below.

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Get ready for a nice quiet weather week. The jet stream will lift mercifully north and east gradually this week. That will allow milder air to waft in from the west by mid-week. It looks like we'll see the warmest temperatures and our first "thaw" in over 3 weeks.

It's always interesting to forecast temperatures during these January thaw patterns. This one does not look like it will last more than 48 hours. It also looks like it won't be too warm, which may make us warmer. Huh? What did he just say?

Here's the deal. When we get a huge push of warm air aloft over a snow pack we usually get low stratus and fog. That shuts down the sun and we often will not warm as much as we might with slightly cooler air and more sun. It is still possible we may see some clouds or fog at night this week, but hopefully not during the peak heating hours in the afternoon. If we get enough sun, we should make the mid 30's both Wednesday and Thursday in the metro. A hyper bank thermometer may even flash 40 somewhere in southern Minnesota. 50's or 60's are not out of the question in the snow free areas of the Dakotas and Nebraska.

Enjoy Minnesota winter at its finest this week. Stock up on the washer fluid and watch the potholes. I am looking forward to seeing my front walkway again.

PH