A cold Monday; mild temps later this week
Any big storms in sight?
The light snow Sunday afternoon was a reminder to Minnesotans that this is December after all. Until Sunday afternoon, there had been only one day this December with measurable snow at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Snow amounts were very light, but it was enough to cause slick spots on some roads. There were reports of crashes on some Twin Cities metro area roads Sunday afternoon. Icy spots could be encountered on roads and entrance ramps Sunday evening into Monday, as temps continue to fall.
You can hear updated weather information on the MPR network, and you’ll see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.
Much colder on Monday
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Low temperatures late Sunday night into Monday morning are expected to range from slightly below zero in far northern Minnesota to the lower teens above zero in the far south. It’ll be breezy overnight and early Monday; be prepared for single-digit wind chill temps in the Twin Cities early Monday morning.
Our average Twin Cities high temp on Dec. 14 is 27 degrees. Our daytime high on Monday will struggle to crawl slightly above 20. Monday highs are expected to range from single digits above zero in far northern Minnesota to the lower 20s in the far south:
Monday morning breezes will taper off by afternoon in most areas. Winds will still gust over 15 mph Monday afternoon in northeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin:
Plotted values are in knots, with 8 knots equal to 9 mph and 16 knots equal to about 18 mph.
Temperature trends
Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to be in the upper 20s on Tuesday, followed by lower 30s on Wednesday. We could reach the mid 30s on Thursday and around 40 degrees on Friday. Metro area highs may retreat a bit on Saturday, then return to around 40 next Sunday.
Above-normal temps could then stay with us throughout Christmas week. The NWS Climate Prediction Center shows a tendency for above-normal temps in Minnesota and Wisconsin from Dec. 21 through Dec. 27:
Keep in mind that even highs in the 30s are above-normal this time of year.
Any big storms this week?
Forecast models aren’t showing any big snowstorms in Minnesota or western Wisconsin this coming week.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System (GFS) model shows the potential precipitation pattern Monday through Friday:
According to the GFS model, southern Minnesota will see very little precipitation this week, until a rain/snow shower chance arrives late on Friday. Northern Minnesota may see a couple of minor snow events this week.
Snow lovers will have to be patient.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.