January thaw hits high gear today; mild and misty weekend
Chat up a few Minnesotans at your local Caribou and you'll get different perspectives on our January thaw.
Some relish the break from persistent cold. Smoother commutes. The drip of icicles and a warm sunny winter afternoon.
Still others would just as soon it stay cold. Many enjoy fresh snow cover for winter play. This meteorologist and pond hockey player simply questions the timing. Does the thaw really have to arrive during the best weekend of winter for outdoor pond hockey?
My friends who run the North American Pond Hockey Championships in Excelsior this weekend have put together this awesome charity event once again. This year's proceeds benefit ALS research.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
We may not have fast ice this year, but this tournament and the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships next weekend on Lake Nokomis celebrate the best of winter in Minnesota. I hope you can join us for a great weekend of pond hockey, bags, live music and fun in Excelsior.
Thaw kicks in
The sun is out today with increasingly stronger power. We're gaining two minutes of daylight each day this week. The higher sun angle and a mild Pacific air mass boost temps into the low 40s today across southern Minnesota. Get used to the warmth. Temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s will be common the next few days. The thaw spills north all the way into Canada.
String of 40s?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Forecast System model is among the most aggressive for a string of temperatures in the 40s the next few days. With more clouds starting tomorrow this product is probably too optimistic, but it gives you a good idea of the magnitude and staying power of the warmth ahead.
Misty weekend
Enjoy the brilliant sunshine today. Clouds increase again Thursday, and Friday through the weekend looks mild, but gray. Patchy rain showers and drizzle leak from the mild air into this weekend.
Rain to snow next week?
NOAA's GFS still paints a potential rain to snow event next week at the end of this loop.
Mild finish to January
We may cool off a few degrees next week. But overall temperature trends favor warmer than average temps through the end of January across the Upper Midwest.
Enjoy the sun and stay tuned.