An Inch Or Two Of Snow Sunday
As an area of low pressure moves west to east across central Minnesota Sunday, we're expecting to see an area of light snow impact the region. Snowfall amounts of up to 2" are expected across the state, with some of the heaviest amounts expected across central Minnesota - enough to freshen up the snow pack from the pre-Christmas blizzard. (Forecast loop: 6 AM Sunday through Midnight Sunday Night. Credit: WeatherBell)
Some stronger winds can be expected heading into the afternoon hours Sunday, particularly across portions of western Minnesota. This could lead to some blowing snow, but impacts from it are expected to be minimal.
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Does A Larger Storm Loom Mid-Week?
If you're looking for more snow, you won't have to wait too long. Models for the past few days have been indicating the potential for a larger system to move out of Colorado into the upper Midwest as we head toward Tuesday and Wednesday. These types of lows typically bring heavy snow with them to the region, but as always it depends on several other factors, including the exact track of the storm. It's these mitigating factors several days out that limit our ability to start throwing snow totals out, but the current projections would have the potential of 6"+ of snow falling across portions of southern Minnesota. Make sure you keep an eye on this one as we head toward the last few days of 2020. (GFS Forecast loop: 6 AM Tuesday through 6 PM Wednesday. Credit: WeatherBell).
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Looking Toward 2021
Well, 2020 is almost over - finally. Unfortunately, the problems of the world don't just magically disappear as we flip the calendar... but let's ignore that for the moment. As we wake up in 2021 on Friday, temperatures will be in the single digits above or below zero across the state. Quiet weather is currently expected with mainly sunny skies during the daylight hours as highs climb into the teens and 20s.
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First Negatives Of Winter
Meanwhile, this cold blast we were in just in time for Christmas brought the first below-zero lows we've had this winter to the Twin Cities. We work up with a low of -3F on Christmas Eve and -5F on Christmas Day. It's certainly not the latest in the season we've hit that value for the first time - the latest on record was the 2018-2019 winter, where we didn't get to that cold of a low until January 19th.
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A Couple of Snow Events Coming
By Paul Douglas
"Kindness is like snow - it beautifies everything it covers" wrote Lebanese-American poet Kahlil Gibran. I know it can be tough to drive on, but a fresh shellacing of snow sure does cover up a host of imperfections.
Meteorologists talk about a "sweet spot" for accumulating snow, with temperatures in the 20s. Anything warmer risks a changeover to ice and rain. But air temperatures colder than 15F often imply the storm track is too far south for significant accumulation. There's some truth to the old adage "too cold to snow".
A quick inch or two of powder is likely today. A sloppy southern storm brushes the area with a few inches Tuesday night, but the brunt of this system passes east. It may still be a plowable amount, just not the Big One.
More good news for Minnesotans who revel in fresh powder: I see sub-freezing temperatures into January 2. A brief January Thaw may slush things up January 3-5, but seasonably cold weather returns the second week of January, before another mid-month thaw.
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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast
SUNDAY: An inch or two of snow. Wake up 15. High 23. Chance of precipitation 90%. Wind N 10-15 mph.
MONDAY: Partly sunny and chilly. Wake up 7. High 19. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind W 5-10 mph.
TUESDAY: PM snow may drop plowable amounts. Wake up 3. High 22. Chance of precipitation 90%. Wind SE 7-12 mph.
WEDNESDAY: Another coating to inch of snow. Wake up 21. High 25. Chance of precipitation 70%. Wind N 10-15 mph.
THURSDAY: Flurries taper, partial PM clearing. Wake up 17. High 22. Chance of precipitation 60%. Wind NW 10-15 mph.
FRIDAY: Partly sunny. Good riddance 2020. Wake up 9. High 19. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 8-13 mph.
SATURDAY: Mix of clouds and sunshine. Wake up 3. High 18. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind S 8-13 mph.
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This Day in Weather History
December 27th
1982: A snowstorm starts across the state, and ultimately dumps 16 inches in the Twin Cities by the time it ends on the 28th.
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Average Temperatures & Precipitation for Minneapolis
December 27th
Average High: 24F (Record: 46F set in 1959)
Average Low: 9F (Record: -24F set in 1886)
Average Precipitation: 0.04" (Record: 0.95" set in 2018)
Average Snowfall: 0.4" (Record: 6.0" in 1971)
Record Snow Depth: 18" in 2010
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Sunrise/Sunset Times for Minneapolis
December 27th
Sunrise: 7:50 AM
Sunset: 4:38 PM
*Length Of Day: 8 hours, 47 minutes and 48 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: ~0 minutes and 28 seconds
*When Do We Climb To 9 Hours Of Daylight? January 9th (9 hours, 0 minutes, and 51 seconds)
*When Is The Latest Sunrise?: December 29th-January 5th (7:51 AM)
*When Is Sunset At/After 5 PM? January 17th (5:00 PM)
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Twin Cities And Minnesota Weather Outlook
As mentioned above, we'll be watching some light snow here in the Twin Cities as we head into Sunday. The best chance of snow will be during the afternoon hours. Temperatures will start off in the teens, climbing to the mid-20s for highs.
We watch that snow chance statewide as we head through Sunday, again with some of the highest amounts (up to around 2") expected in central Minnesota. Highs will be in the teens to the north and 20s to the south.
These highs on Sunday will be right around average for most of the state. The average high for December 27th in the Twin Cities is 24F.
We'll see up and down temperatures over the next several days in the Twin Cities. Highs will fall back into the teens Monday behind our Sunday snow system before climbing back into the 20s ahead and with our potential mid-week system Tuesday and Wednesday. Temps will once again fall back to the teens behind that system for the last day of 2020.
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National Weather Forecast
As a system moves through the upper Midwest Sunday, snow can be expected from the Northern Plains to Great Lakes, with rain possible down through the Ohio Valley into the mid-Mississippi Valley. Some rain can be expected along the West Coast, with snow possible at higher elevations in the west.
Through Monday evening, some of the heavier rain totals will be found in southern California, where 1-2" could fall. Several inches of snow will be possible from the western mountains through the upper Midwest into the eastern Great Lakes.
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Mysterious asteroid the size of a dwarf planet is lurking in our solar system
More from Live Science: "There's a giant asteroid somewhere out in the solar system, and it hurled a big rock at Earth. The evidence for this mystery space rock comes from a diamond-studded meteor that exploded over Sudan in 2008. NASA had spotted the 9-ton (8,200 kilograms), 13-foot (4 meters) meteor heading toward the planet well before impact, and researchers showed up in the Sudanese desert to collect an unusually rich haul of remains. Now, a new study of one of those meteorites suggests that the meteor may have broken off of a giant asteroid — one more or less the size of the dwarf planet Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt."
In pursuing historic climate change agenda, Biden may find surprising ally
More from NBC News: "Biden has said he will re-enter the U.S. in the Paris climate accord on his first day in office and will prioritize undoing dozens of environmental regulatory rollbacks put into place by President Donald Trump — all via executive action. But what comes after that will be the hard part: trying to implement his climate agenda through legislation. And that's where he may find a partnership with Republicans on Capitol Hill. While some in the GOP remain in steadfast denial that human-caused climate change even exists, dozens of Republican lawmakers have acknowledged that the time has come to address the crisis and have put forward policies that have gained some degree of bipartisan traction."
States and companies are now hotbeds of climate action
More from Axios: "In the four years since the U.S. federal government last paid serious attention to climate change, the problem has become a top priority across states and corporations. Why it matters: Washington, D.C. isn't the only place, or even the most important place, where meaningful climate change action is likely to happen in the coming years. Where it stands: President-elect Joe Biden will attempt to force some changes at the federal level, but he's also expected to lean on states to show America's progress on the global stage. Meanwhile, companies' rhetoric on the problem in recent years will now be put to a test."
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Thanks for checking in and have a great day! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@dkayserwx) and like me on Facebook (Meteorologist D.J. Kayser).
- D.J. Kayser
