Quiet and mild this week, colder next week
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What a crazy month we just had. Fall-like temperatures. Little snow. Widespread rain on unfrozen ground. Minimal lake ice.
December 2023 was the warmest December statewide for Minnesota. It was a very wet month, due mostly to persistent rain over Christmas. Little snow fell. The Twin Cities picked up more snow in October (2.7 inches officially) than in either November (0.5 inches) or December (2.1 inches).
Snow cover has been exceptionally sparse. The latest snow depth map from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, issued Dec. 28, shows just the northwestern corner of the state with meaningful snow.
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The first week of January will continue on the mild side of normal. The week looks to be generally dry until maybe next weekend.
New Year’s Day
The low stratus clouds that have been darkening so many days recently will be slow to clear from west to east. They should scatter out, temporarily, over the Twin Cities area by late Monday afternoon or evening. High temperatures will be in the upper 20s to low 30s. The Twin Cities could reach a high of about 31. The average high for New Year’s Day is 25.
Milder Tuesday
Low clouds return for Tuesday. But it will probably be the mildest day of the week. Look for highs from the upper 20s to mid 30s. The Twin Cities should see about 33 degrees.
Mostly snow-free week
Don’t expect much snow this week. A moisture-starved disturbance might spread a dusting of light snow across the state Tuesday night into Wednesday. Meanwhile, the main storm system for the country will be way down south along the Gulf Coast.
Later in the week there is a chance of light snow about Friday or next weekend as another Alberta clipper slides across the area. Temperatures will remain on the mild side.
Colder next week, maybe snow
The weather pattern might look more like an actual January next week. We could pick up some snow early in the week as a storm from the Central Plains tracks by to our south.
As that storm passes by, cold air will begin to pool east of the Canadian Rockies. Whether or not it chills us will probably depend on if it tracks mainly eastward across Canada or more southeast into the Upper Midwest.
Overall, the outlook for Jan. 8-14 calls for Minnesota and western Wisconsin to be on the cool side of normal with a decent chance of more precipitation than normal. That combination would seem favorable for brining us snow.
