Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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 & wet roads for the Twin Cities Saturday temps well above freezing

 west & north of metro Saturday - ice, sleet, snow all possible

of sloppy snow possible for western & central & NE Minnesota

 of slushy snow possible Sunday for the metro (especially the NW side)

The Ides of December should be delivering snow to the Twin Cities. This year it looks like a rainy weekend mix.

Our next weathermaker rolls in this weekend. This system is unseasonably warm for mid-December, and mostly wet roads may replace the treacherous snow covered commute we faced last weekend in the metro.

We've followed this system all week long. All along, it was clear that the only wild card with the system would be temperatures.

If enough cold air could get yanked into the system it could change over to wet heavy snow. Just the right combination of above freezing air above ground and freezing at the surface? Ice storm. Too much warm air? Rain.

Temps well above freezing will ease north with the system, and after a possible period of glaze ice from freezing rain early Saturday AM, it looks like precip will favor rain in the metro. Temps may push as high as 37-40 degrees Saturday...and that will mean wet roads by afternoon.

Modles favor as much as .50" of precip this weekend in the metro. Most of that may fall as rain.

 Cold enough for ice &  snow west & north?

It looks like the air may be just cold enough to keep a wintery mix west & north of the metro.

Look for a mix of glaze ice, sleet and snow from Redwood falls to Morris, Alex, Brainerd & Duluth. If you are planning travel into western & northern MN plan for some slick roads.

As much as 2" to 4" of wet slushy snow could accumulate in these areas by Sunday.

If you're planning any travel in the western or northern half of Minnesota (except for the northwest which will be mostly snow free) plan for some slick roads at times. And you may want to load up on washer fluid this weekend!

Just enough cold air should work into the system by Saturday night that a wintery mix may develop in the Twin Cities, changing to snow by Sunday. If the models pan out, what's left of the system's moisture Sunday may be able to put down a slushy inch or 2 in the metro by Sunday evening. The best chance for a couple inches of slush will be in the west & north metro.

Overall this is an unusually warm system for this time of year.

The European model has hinted for a few runs now that a bigger system may be tracking toward the Upper Midwest for next week. It's early, but this system looks colder and could be a significant snow producer somewhere in Minnesota or Wisconsin by next Wednesday or Thursday.

2012: Warmest year ever recorded in the Twin Cities?

We know 2012 has been warm. Nationally we're on pace for the warmest year on record according to the latest analysis from NOAA.

Looking at the numbers, it appears we also have a shot at the 

Greg Spoden from the Minnesota Climate Working Group sends along this update Friday.

My MPR colleague and UM professor Dr. Mark Seeley has another great installment on this week's 

Poll: Vast mjority of Americans, even science skeptics now believe Climate Change is real

EIS field assistant, Adam LeWinter on NE rim of Birthday Canyon, atop feature called "Moab". Greenland Ice Sheet, July 2009. Black deposit in bottom of channel is cryoconite. Birthday Canyon is approximately 150 feet deep.

piece from AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein

 on how extreme weather and obvious climate shifts are (finally) getting people to see that climate change is...well....

Kerri Miller tackled the topic with James Balog and Will Steger on The Daily Circuit. Here's their take on 'Chasing Ice' and climate change.

This is must hear radio for anyone interested in climate change.

Weather and Climate News

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Paul Huttner

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Warm weekend system; Metro mostly rain; 1″- 2″ Sunday slush? 2012 warmest year ever in metro?

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