Weather Column: How are you enjoying ?Äúwinter?Äù so far? Well, technically we are still in fall since the winter solstice doesn?Äôt officially arrive for us until Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 4:44 a.m. this year.
I know it wasn?Äôt too long ago that we were bragging about what a nice late fall and early winter we were having, but all of that has changed
over the past couple of weeks. I am starting to hear people complain that they are already ?Äúsick of winter.?Äù
The snow and bitterly cold air will settle in for much of the rest of the month and into the New Year. In fact, we will have the coldest air of the season this week with us tapping some extremely cold Arctic air by Saturday night into Sunday. This is the backside of snowstorm that could bring 2?Äù to 6?Äù of snow or more by late Thursday night into Friday night.
We could also see temperatures of 15 to 20 degrees below normal for this time of the year for late this week and into the weekend. We will also have dangerous wind-chill values. Make sure you have your winter survival kits with you if you should have car troubles.
Is there any big warm-up on the horizon? Well, I hate to tell you, not at this stage. Most of the month of December will continue to see cold and snow.
Stay safe and think warm thoughts!
Weather history: On this date in 1933, records show that a ?Äúsevere ice storm hit southern and central Minnesota.?Äù
Weather fact: An ice storm is a ?Äútype of winter storm characterized by freezing rain, also known as a glaze event or, in some parts of the United States, as a silver thaw.?Äù An ice storm results in the accumulation of at least 0.25-inch of ice on exposed surfaces.
MN AT A GLANCE:
Moorhead Low -6 High 0
Duluth Low 4 High 10
Central Minn. Low-4 High 1
Minneapolis Low 0 High 9
Rochester Low -2 High 8
Marshall Low -3 High 4
Wednesday: Partly to mostly sunny and cold. High 1 Low -12 Winds: WNW 15-25>30 mph Prec. None
Monday?Äôs sunrise: 7:55 a.m.
Monday?Äôs sunset: 4:37 p.m.
Normal High: 21
Normal Low: 7
The coldest air of the season will arrive this weekend with temperatures struggling to make it above 0 for daytime high temperatures. A winter storm is expected to arrive late Thursday night into Friday. At this stage 1?Äù to 3?Äù of snow is possible Thursday night and another 1?Äù to 3?Äù of snow is possible again on Friday. Bitterly cold air will arrive on the backside of this system on Saturday.
Thursday: Partly cloudy and cold, 20-percent chance of light snow late. High 1 Low -5 Winds: SE 10-15 mph Prec. Trace-.20?Äù
Friday: Mostly cloudy to cloudy, 60-percent chance of snow ?Äì 1?Äù-3?Äù of snow possible. High 11 Low 3 Winds: E 10-15 mph Prec. .20?Äù-.50?Äù
Saturday: Partly cloudy and cold, 20-percent chance of lingering light snow. High -2 Low -20 Winds: NW 10-20 mph Prec. Trace-.20?Äù
Sunday: Partly cloudy. High -3 Low -5 Winds: W 10-15 mph Prec. None.