Snowfall Analysis
Here are the snowfall tallies from the latest storm system PM Sunday into Monday. Some of the heaviest tallies were across parts of Central Minnesota, where some 12" to 18" tallies were reported.
See a full list of snowfall reports HERE:
Snowfall So Far This Season
With Sunday's snowfall in the Twin Cities, we have now officially seen 20.5" so far this season, which is actually +3.2" above average. With that being said, there are still several spots around the region that are dealing with below average snowfall for the season. However, there is more on the way Tuesday and possibly Thursday and Saturday.
Weather Outlook From AM Tuesday to AM Wednesday
The weather outlook from AM Tuesday to AM Wednesday shows our next light snow chance moving through the region. The heaviest snow should be around midday and will fade later in the day.
Snowfall Potential Through Wednesday
Snowfall amounts of 1" to 3" will be possible across the Twin Cities metro as this next system moves through. This snow will be light and fluffy, so road conditions will likely become very slippery through the day.
More Snow Thursday & Saturday
The extended weather outlook from AM Thursday to AM Sunday shows two more chances of snow. One system will bring light snow to the area on Thursday and a potentially more potent system will move through parts of the Upper Midwest on New Year's Day Saturday.
Precipitation Departure From Average Since January 1st
Here's a look at the precipitation departure from average since January 1st and note that most locations are still several inches below average, including the Twin Cities. The MSP Airport is still -5.68" below average since January 1st, which is the 59th driest January 1st - December 26th on record.
Tuesday Weather Outlook
Here's the weather outlook for Minneapolis on Sunday, which shows near average temperatures for late December with highs warming into the mid 20s. Light snow will develop in the morning and continue through much of the afternoon with some 1" to 3" tallies possible by the evening.
Meteograms for Minneapolis
The hourly temps for Minneapolis on Tuesday show temps starting in the low 10s in the morning and warming to mid 20s by the afternoon. Snow will develop in the morning and continue through much of the afternoon. Southeasterly winds will be 15mph to 25mph through the day.
Cold Feels Like Temps on Tuesday
Feels like temps for Minneapolis on Tuesday will be very chilly with readings in the 0F to 5F range in the morning to around 10F to 15F in the afternoon.
Weather Outlook For Tuesday
High temps across the region on Tuesdaywill warm into the 10s & 20s across much of the state, which will be closer to average. However, note the colder air perched to the northwest, where highs will only warm into the single digits above and below 0F, which will be nearly -15F to -25F below average.
Extended Temperature Outlook For Minneapolis
The extended temperature outlook for Minneapolis over the next several days shows MUCH colder air in place for the 2nd half of the week. Readings will be nearly -10F to -20F below average for late December with highs only warming into the teens and single digits.
Extended Weather Outlook For Minneapolis
The extended weather forecast over the next several days shows colder weather continuing through the first few days of 2022. There is a chance of snow on Tuesday, Thursday and again New Year's Day Saturday.
Extended Temperature Outlook For Minneapolis
According to the ECMWF & GFS extended temperature outlook, we'll be much cooler for the week ahead with a first chance of sub-zero readings during the last week of the year.
8 to 14 Day Temperature Outlook
According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook shows below average reading across the Western US and northern tier of the nation into early January. Meanwhile, much of the Southern US will running well above average once again.
8 to 14 Day Precipitation Outlook
According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, more active weather in place across the nation.
Have a Happy (Subzero) New Year!
By Paul Douglas
I'm continually amazed by how fast weather patterns can change at this lofty latitude. Green lawns in early December - 16 tornadoes on December 15? Here, let me freshen up your life with another candy-coating of snow.
According to the Twin Cities National Weather Service the nearly 3" that fell at MSP Sunday night brought the metro total up to 20.5" for the winter to date; nearly 3" above normal.
We'll add to that total with another 2-4" by tonight. The sun comes out Wednesday with single-digit daytime "highs". Enjoy the relative warmth, because a true arctic front is brewing for the weekend. ECMWF (European model) consistently keeps most of Minnesota below zero New Year's Day into Sunday. Wind chills may dip from -20 to -40F. Other than that, very nice indeed! NOAA's models print out a massive snowstorm for Minnesota New Year's Day. Not convinced of that (yet) but Sunday will be the better travel day.
So 48 hours of numb, then it's over. Pro-tip: any (cheap) champagne will be extra-chilled this weekend.
Extended Forecast
TUESDAY: Another 2-4" PM hours. Winds: NE 10-20. High: 25.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Patchy freezing drizzle ends. Cloudy. Winds: S 5-15. Low: -4.
WEDNESDAY: Sunny, comfortably numb. Winds: NW 8-13. High: 7.
THURSDAY: Cloudy, period of flurries. Winds: SE 7-12. Wake-up: 3. High: 23.
NEW YEAR'S EVE FRIDAY: Sunny peeks, cold wind blows. Winds: N 10-20. Wake-up: 13. High: 19.
NEW YEAR'S DAY SATURDAY: Numbing with a chance of snow. Winds: N 15-25. Wake-up: -9. High: -4.
SUNDAY: Better travel day. Arctic breeze. Winds: W 5-10. Wake-up: -15. High: 0.
MONDAY: Some sun, some feeling in my fingers. Winds: S 7-12. Wake-up: -2. High: 12.
This Day in Weather History
December 28th
2000: Central and southeast Minnesota receive 6 to 10 inches of snow. Some notable snow amounts include: Chanhassen NWS Forecast Office with 7.8 inches, St Cloud with 7.5 inches, and Hutchinson, Willmar, Albany, Red Wing, and Long Prairie with 7.0 inches.
1979: Balmy weather enables the city park crew in Duluth to rake leaves.
1927: A cold snap results in sharp temperature drops across Minnesota. The temperature would fall from 41 to -15 at Farmington.
Average High/Low for Minneapolis
December 28th
Average High: 24F (Record: 47F set in 2013)
Average Low: 9F (Record: -27F set in 1980)
Record Rainfall: 1.09" set in 1982
Record Snowfall: 12.0" set in 1982
Sunrise/Sunset Times for Minneapolis
December 26th
Sunrise: 7:50am
Sunset: 4:37pm
Hours of Daylight: ~8 hours & 49 minutes
Daylight GAINED since yesterday: ~ 31 seconds
Daylight GAINED since Winter Solstice (December 21st): ~ 3 minutes
Moon Phase for December 28th at Midnight
2.2 Days After Last Quarter
National High Temps Tuesday
The weather outlook on Tuesday shows record warmth continuing across many locations in the Southern US, where high temperatures will be nearly +15F to +20F above average. Temps in the western half of the nation will be much cooler than average with readings running nearly -10F to -20F below average.
National Weather Outlook
The weather outlook through the middle part of the week shows active weather in place across much of the nation. A deep trough in the Western US will continue to keep areas of heavy rain and heavy mountain snow in place there, while another storm system will move through the Central US with areas of plowable snow in the Upper Midwest & Great Lakes Region with areas of rain and snow in the southern US.
Extended Precipitation Outlook
According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, areas of heavy precipitation will be found in the Western US, where several inches of liquid precipitation will be possible. We're also getting indications of heavier precipitation across parts of the Ohio and Tennessee River Valley, where some 2" to 4" liquid tallies can't be ruled out.
Extended Snowfall Potential
Here's the extended snowfall potential through the last full week December. Note that heavy snowfall potential will continue in the high elevations in the Western US as well as parts of the Midwest & Great Lakes Region.
Climate Stories
"9 times nature was totally metal in 2021"
Remembering the plasma hurricanes, tortoise assassins and dinosaur fight clubs that made 2021 heavier than a black hole. "Nature is healing" is a popular refrain we've heard time and again over the last two years. Sure … tell that to the baby bird who had its head bitten off by a rampaging tortoise in the Seychelles, or the fish in Texas who woke up to find its tongue replaced by a bloodthirsty parasite. Nature is, and always has been, brutal, awesome, epic and heavy as a black hole's empty heart. In 2021, things were no different. Here are 9 of our favorite times when nature was totally metal this year.
See more from Live Science HERE:
"In Photos: See The Dramatic Final Images Of NASA's $10 Billion Webb Space Telescope After Its Christmas Day Launch"
"Did you watch the James Webb Space Telescope launch? If you did—and you stayed with the broadcast beyond the successful launch—you will have seen some dramatic images of it separating from the Ariane 5 launch vehicle and beginning its one million miles journey. Surely one of humanity's greatest scientific achievements, Webb successfully launched on the Ariane 5 rocket at 7:20 a.m. EST from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Just five minutes after the launch Webb began sending back telemetry data, but it wasn't until 27 minutes into the flight that it separated from the Ariane 5. Here's what that dramatic sequence looked like:"
"2021 cancelled out nearly all the emissions reductions of 2020"
"Instead of coming back from the pandemic-related closures with new, clean systems, the global economy just fired up all its old engines. After a record-breaking drop in carbon emissions in 2020, global CO2 emissions have bounced back, nearly to pre-pandemic levels—a sign of how a "return to normal" isn't enough to curb the emissions crisis and avoid tipping over our carbon budget. When the world shut down in 2020, carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use that year dropped by two billion metric tons, the equivalent of taking 500 million cars off of roads globally. But as things reopened, with people heading back into offices and even flying again, all that activity has brought global emissions back up, mostly cancelling out that 2020 decrease."
See more from Fast Company HERE:
