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Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News
Bill Endersen

Very mild Tuesday; then a cooling trend

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A very mild air mass held temperatures up overnight into Tuesday morning.

Sunshine for at least part of the day before clouds thicken will boost afternoon readings into spring-like conditions. Expect high temperatures from the low 30s in the far north around International Falls, Ely and Isabella to the mid 40s in the southwest around Pipestone and Worthington. The Twin Cities should see a snow-melting high around 43 with a wind becoming southwest at 10-15 mph.

Dec 18 - mpx wx story
Weather outlook for the workweek . Twin Cities National Weather Service

Turning cooler

Cooler air will start sagging southeastward out of Canada beginning on Wednesday. But it will be a gradual process with most daily high temperatures remaining warmer than normal through at least Saturday.

Weak disturbances on their way

We are in a split-flow weather pattern. That means that the jet stream has two branches, one across the central and southern U.S. and the other across the northern part of the country. These northern branches are often weak and bring us those Alberta Clipper weather systems with light precipitation.

The first of these disturbances will arrive on Wednesday. Look for patchy light rain, light snow, drizzle and maybe a bit of freezing drizzle on Wednesday and Wednesday night.

Dec 18 - Wed fcst map
Forecast surface weather map for Wednesday. NOAA Weather Forecasting Center

Snow possible Saturday

The next Alberta clipper seems likely to drop a little snow on Minnesota on Saturday. A couple inches of fresh snow seem likely for mainly northern Minnesota.

That weekend snow event will be accompanied by rather chilly temperatures for northern Minnesota for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Southern parts of the state will cool only to near normal.

In summary, a rather quiet weather pattern in our neighborhood

Indeed, the next week should bring us undramatic weather with chances of just light precipitation while the East and Pacific Northwest continue to get whacked.

Dec 18 - 7 day QPF
Forecast total precipitation for the 7 days ending at 6 a.m. next Tuesday, Christmas Day. NOAA Weather Prediction Center

Outlook for around Christmas

Long-term models are calling for the split flow pattern to break down next week. A storm could develop over the Central Plains and arrive in Minnesota around December 26. Early forecast guidance is for mainly rain the the southern half of Minnesota but a decent drop of snow in the north.

If a Colorado low does form and track across the Upper Midwest during the middle of next week, that likely will set the stage to pull some sharply colder air out of Canada and across Minnesota after Christmas.