Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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While still mild Wednesday, temperatures will slowly fall and winds will make it feel cooler. Expect 30s in southern Minnesota with wind chills in the 20s and teens and 20s with single-digit wind chills up north. A Thursday clipper brings snow showers to the Twin Cities. 

After our 43 degree high temperature Tuesday, we have a slight transition in temperatures. It was our warmest day Tuesday since Christmas Eve, when it was last 43. Had we warmed one more degree, it would have been the warmest day since Dec. 15, when we had our first ever December tornadoes.

Temperatures Wednesday will slowly drop from the mid 30s to around 30 degrees later in the afternoon in the Twin Cities. Winds will be blustery from 10-20 mph with gusts of 25-40 mph.

Temperatures will be colder statewide Wednesday night into Thursday. We’ll wake up to low temperatures in the teens and even slightly below zero in far northern Minnesota.

We’ll start the day Thursday with sunshine in eastern Minnesota, but a vigorous clipper system will bring snow showers by late morning in the northwest and late afternoon to the Twin Cities. Expect about 1 inch in the Twin Cities area. Parts of northeastern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin will see several inches or more. 

The snow will fall in the Twin Cities from about 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., so it will likely cause some issues for the Thursday evening commute.

Our high temperatures Thursday will come late in the day, after dark. After the snow, we’ll see the possibility of a few light rain showers in the southern half of the state overnight Thursday night into early Friday. 

Most of Thursday night will see temperatures above freezing for southern Minnesota, while the snow will continue along the North Shore. 

Temperatures will fall through the day Friday, in what’s become a familiar pattern. Temperatures will continue to fall until most of Minnesota is below zero by early Saturday morning.

While cold Saturday, we can handle it. Highs will be in the teens and already by early next week we’ll be mild again. Highs by Tuesday should be back above freezing. 

If the trusty European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts computer model is correct (its forecast for Tuesday’s high was correct) we could see another 40-degree temperature or two next week. 

You may not be a fan of winter but at least we don’t have a heat advisory. Southern California is seeing an extremely rare heat advisory Wednesday and Thursday as Santa Ana winds blow. Some places could reach 90 degrees in the Los Angeles and surrounding areas. 

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Sven Sundgaard

Author

Temperatures will cool slowly Wednesday and winds will make it feel cooler. Expect temperatures in the 30s with wind chills in the 20s in Southern Minnesota. Northern Minnesota will see temps drop into the teens and 20s with single-digit wind chills. 

Mild, windy Wednesday; some snow Thursday

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