Wintry mix into Friday
Freezing fog and mist, light snow favor northern Minnesota.
There’s finally some action on our very quiet December weather maps.
A low-pressure system tracking across Canada drags a cold front across Minnesota Friday. Some patchy overnight fog and mist give way to a wintry mix of ice and snow favoring northern Minnesota Friday. Flurries and drizzle may reach as far south as the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota Friday.
NOAA’s NAM 3 km resolution model paints the precipitation zones Friday.
Light accumulations up north
Snowfall accumulations look generally light Friday across northern Minnesota. Most areas that pick up now will get between 1 and 3 inches. Parts of southern Minnesota may get a light dusting.
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Here’s NOAA’s GFS model snowfall output.
Big changes Christmas week
Christmas week starts mild. Highs in the 40s look likely Monday, and possibly Tuesday across southern Minnesota.
Tuesday-Wednesday snow chance?
Most forecast models are still driving a weather system across Minnesota next Tuesday or Wednesday. That could bring snow before Christmas to parts of Minnesota that currently lack snow cover.
Here’s the European model for late Tuesday night.
Christmas polar plunge
The upper air pattern appears ready to buckle and send a shot of Arctic air south across Minnesota by Christmas eve.
Early temperature guidance suggests minus 20s are possible in northern Minnesota and the first subzero lows of the season in the Twin Cities.
Stay tuned.