There was a little snow and ice across the region late Saturday night into AM Sunday that prompted a Winter Weather Advisory for some locations. Snowfall reports weren't all that impressive, but it was just enough to cause some issues on area roadways. According to the MN State Patrol, there were 339 crashes across the statewide through 6:30AM Sunday, 36 of which caused injuries. There were also 122 vehicle spinouts and 5 jackknifed semis. The MSP Airport only picked up 0.8" of snow, which adds to the seasonal total, but we're still quite a bit below average for the season.

"Here are the results of voting for the top five weather events of 2023 from the Minnesota State Climatology Office. Votes were cast from various weather enthusiasts including the National Weather Service, the University of Minnesota, State agencies and Facebook followers. #5 "Big Mess" Snowstorm Clobbers Minnesota: January 2-5, 2023 The New Year greeted Minnesota with a large, messy winter storm, as a concoction of heavy snow, freezing rain, sleet, rain, and thunderstorms pounded parts of the state. The storm produced widespread accumulations of over one foot, with 15.1 inches for a storm total in the Twin Cities, making this the 14th-largest snowstorm on record since 1884."

See more from the MN State Climatology Office HERE:

"No below-normal temperatures all month in St. Cloud and the Twin Cities December 2023 featured an extraordinary combination of warmth, wetness, and snowlessness, breaking or challenging records in all three categories. In many regards, December was more like November in Minnesota, with bare ground dominating the landscape across the state for much or all of the month, and temperatures remaining mild virtually every day, with a few bouts of very to extremely warm weather. A rare holiday heat wave arrived with precipitation event that produced rain almost exclusively, and propelled the month to the top of the precipitation charts as well. Strong El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean have kept frigid winter air masses locked up in central and northern Canada, 1,000 to 2,000 miles to our north. Most days have been much warmer than average, and passing cold fronts have struggled to bring in anything other than seasonally-normal air."

See more from the MN State Climatology Office HERE:

"Winter seasons have significant societal impacts across all sectors ranging from direct human health and mortality to commerce, transportation, and education. The question "How severe was this winter?" does not have a simple answer. At the very least, the severity of a winter is related to the intensity and persistence of cold weather, the amount of snow, and the amount and persistence of snow on the ground. The Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index (AWSSI) was developed to objectively quantify and describe the relative severity of the winter season."

It's probably no surprise, but most locations around the Midwest and Great Lakes have had a "Mild" winter so far. Again, we're still waiting for the other boot to drop, but being in an El Nino setup, a winter like last year is not really in the cards. The Midwest will likely see an overall warmer and less snowy winter.

Here's a look at the Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index (AWSSI) for Minneapolis, MN so far this winter season. With a lack of cold temps and snow, it may be no surprise that we are currently sitting under a "Mild" winter rating so far.

Meanwhile, it was a very warm and snowless December so far in the Twin Cities. Temperatures were nearly +12.0F above average, which is the warmest December on record in the Twin Cities. It was also one of the top 20 least snowy Decembers on record as well.

It certainly was warm year, but did you realize that MSP just had its 3rd warmest year on record? The average temperature at MSP for all of 2023 was only 0.9F behind the 2 warmest years on record, which was 2012 and 1931.

The Twin Cities has only seen ~5" of snow this season, which is more than -13.0" below normal snowfall, which is the top 15 least snowy starts to any season on record. With only ~8" of snow in Duluth, they are more than 2 feet below normal snowfall and good enough for the top 10 least snowy starts to any season on record. Marquette, MI is nearly 52" below normal snowfall and currently sitting at the 4th least snowy start to any season on record.

Looking around the region, there is no climate site that has a surplus. The biggest deficits are around the Great Lakes, where we typically get lake effect snow, but with a lack of Arctic air, we haven't seen much in the way of heavy snow yet this season.

The weather outlook through the first week of January looks pretty quiet across much of the Midwest. However, things could get a little more interesting as we approach the weekend and next week. Some of the longer-range models are suggesting the potential of more active weather across the Midwest and Central US. Stay tuned...

The weather outlook for the Twin Cities on Monday, January 1st will be quieter and sunnier than it was on New Year's Day. Some of the snow and ice left on area roads and sidewalks will have a chance to melt a little in the New Year's sunshine.

Temperatures in the Twin Cities will start lower 20s in the morning and will warm into the lower 30s by the afternoon. Much of the day will be sunny and dry with a breezy southwesterly wind around 15mph to 20mph.

The weather outlook for Monday will warm into the 30s across much of the state, which will still be nearly 10F to 15F above average under mostly sunny and dry skies.

The 5 day temperature outlook for Minneapolis will still be warmer than average by nearly 5F to 10F through the first few days of 2024.

Temps in the Twin Cities through the first week and a half of January look to remain above average by nearly 5F to 10F. However, we are getting indications of cooldown as we approach mid-month and beyond. Note that we have had very little in the way of cold air this season, so it may feel quite a bit colder during the 2nd half of the month. Stay tuned...

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook, we're finally starting to see some changes. Note that colder than average temperatures may start to develop across the western half of the country, including the Midwest!

The 8 to 14 Day Precipitation Outlook shows more active weather across the Southern two-thirds of the nation and especially in the Southeastern and Southwestern US.

Snowstorm. Noun. "A heavy fall of snow that is blown by strong winds". Writing this down. Most of Minnesota has yet to experience an old fashioned snowstorm this winter. The metro's 5+" of snow this winter has come from a rag-tag collection of Alberta Clippers. Last winter we had already picked up over 33" of white gold. Darn El Nino.

Weather models hint at snow early next week, but latest runs keep the heaviest amounts south of Minnesota. Again. This could be a major snowstorm for Kansas City, Chicago and Detroit, but it's still early in the game.

I miss the snow but I can live without 20 below. NOAA data shows heating bills since September are 24% lower than during an average winter. Thank you El Nino. And Happy New Year!

NEW YEAR'S DAY (MONDAY): Partly sunny, milder. Winds: SW 10-15. High: 32.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Winds: SW 10-15. High 27.

TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy skies. Winds: NW 10-20. High 33.

WEDNESDAY: More clouds than sun. Winds: NW 10-15. Wake-up: 28. High 30.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy, thawing out. Winds: SW 5-10. Wake-up: 23. High 35.

SATURDAY: Chance of light snow developing. Winds: NE 8-13. Wake-up: 26. High 33.

SUNDAY: Flurries give way to clearing, colder. Winds: NW 10-20. Wake-up: 22. High: 29.

January 1st

2003: On this date there is an inch or less of snow on the ground from Duluth to the Iowa border. In the Twin Cities there isn't even a dirty snowbank to be found.

1864: Extremely cold air moves into Minnesota. The Twin Cities have a high of 25 degrees below zero.

January 1st

Average High: 25F (Record: 48F set in 1897)

Average Low: 11F (Record: -30F set in 1974)

Record Rainfall: 0.44" set in 1941

January 1st

Sunrise: 7:50am

Sunset: 4:42pm

Hours of Daylight: ~8 hours & 51 minutes

Daylight GAINED since yesterday: 24 Seconds

3.2 Days Since First Quarter

See more from Space.com HERE:

The weather outlook on Monday looks fairly mild across much of the nation for the first day of the new year except for the Southern US, where temps will be a little cooler. Much of the nation will be quiet as well.

The National Weather Outlook on Monday will be mostly quiet across the nation except for a few spots. There could be a little rain/snow in the Eastern US and a little light rain across the Lower Mississippi Valley.

The National Weather outlook through Tuesday shows a little light rain/snow pushing through the Eastern US through the New Year. Some rain and thunder will develop across parts of the Southern US early this week with a bigger storm system moving into the Western US by midweek.

According to the ECMWF weather model, We could be entering a more active weather pattern across the nation after the first few days of the month. Areas of snow (heavy at times) could develop across parts of the Western Central and Northeastern US. Stay tuned as we approach next weekend and the week after.

"A new device that extracts water from the air using solar power offers a potential solution for the world's driest regions, scientists say. This atmospheric water harvesting technology utilizes a super hygroscopic gel known for its exceptional ability to swell and trap salt. The prototype, equipped with desorption and condensation chambers, has shown remarkable efficiency in capturing clean water, even under weak sunlight. This innovation, spearheaded by researchers from China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University, promises to aid water-stressed countries, where over 2.2 billion people face severe water scarcity. With the United Nations reporting that water-related diseases claim 3.5 million lives annually, this technology could be crucial for regions with abundant sunshine but limited clean water."

See more from Study Finds HERE

"A sea of migrating methane discovered below the permafrost in Svalbard may eventually escape its icy prison if the permafrost continues to thaw due to climate change. Deep beneath the permafrost that blankets a group of islands in the Arctic Ocean lurks a growing and migrating sea of methane, researchers have discovered. The thick permafrost, or ground that remains frozen for at least two years, forms a tight seal that has so far prevented millions of cubic feet of methane from wafting out — but there's no guarantee that the potent greenhouse gas won't eventually escape, according to a study published Dec. 13 in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science. "At present, the leakage from below permafrost is very low, but factors such as glacial retreat and permafrost thawing may 'lift the lid' on this in the future," lead author Thomas Birchall, a geologist at the University Center in Svalbard in Norway, said in a statement."

See more from Live Science HERE

See more from Yale Climate Connections HERE: