A cold but seasonable Monday followed by more warm weather, potential Christmas storm

Blustery winds will keep it feeling chilly Monday with near-normal high temperatures, mostly in the 20s. The mild weather is back Tuesday into the weekend with possible rain and snow for Christmas. 

Briefly chilly then warmer again

Sunday night’s cold front brought not just gusty winds but also a little fresh snow for northeastern Minnesota. Several spots saw about 1 inch of fresh snow. 

While it feels chilly Monday, temperatures are actually closer to normal for the season. Morning lows were actually still slightly above normal.

The winds will continue to make it feel colder through the day, but those winds are decreasing into the afternoon. By midafternoon, winds speeds will be between 10-15 mph. 

Afternoon highs will be mostly in the 20s across the state, which is near normal for Dec. 18.

We’ll have lots of sunshine through the day as well. Overnight temperatures will drop into the teens and even single digits in northeastern Minnesota. 

Temperatures are already quickly warming back up Tuesday and for the rest of the week right into the Christmas holiday. 

Potential record warmth with rain and snow for Christmas 

Record temperatures are forecast for Christmas Eve. The record high in the Twin Cities is 46 and about half of the computer models are forecasting readings higher.

The abundance and scope of milder air means the next large storm system, developing for late in the weekend and into early next week, will be a forecasting headache. It’s a week away so the models differ on timing and precipitation type and even on whether it will come in one wave or multiple waves of moisture.

Either way, it looks like it will at least start as rain for southern and eastern Minnesota. But there’s the potential for snow in the state as well if cold air is nearby.