Mostly Cloudy Thursday - Warmest December On Record Possible

It's been a weird December, with warm temperatures, rainfall, but not a lot of snow. We are on track to see the warmest December on record as temperatures at/above average are expected to continue through the end of the month. In the precipitation department, we're currently sitting at the 12th overall wettest December on record. We'll have to see if any flurries this weekend can propel us any higher in the rankings before the end of the year. If we saw no more snow, it would be the 8th least snowiest December on record.

Looking at precipitation, this December will be the wettest on record in St. Cloud. Meanwhile, we're sitting at the overall 8th wettest December in Duluth.

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Skies will be mainly cloudy throughout the day on Thursday in the metro, but in the late afternoon or early evening hours clearing skies should reach the metro. Morning temperatures will be around 30F with highs in the upper 30s.

Looking statewide, even though highs will generally be in the 30s on Thursday, these highs are still 10-20F degrees above average for the end of December. Skies in most areas will be cloudy, but clearing skies will work into northern Minnesota during the afternoon, starting to reach the metro during the early evening hours. A few snow showers will be possible in southeastern Minnesota through the midday hours as we see the very last bit of precipitation associated with the system that has been impacting us the past several days finally leave the region, with maybe up to half an inch of accumulation.

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It's the last weekend of 2023! Here's what's on tap:

Saturday: A cold front will have moved through by sunrise, leading to cooler temperatures on Saturday - only reaching the mid-30s. While the day may begin sunny, cloudy skies will quickly take over. A few late-day/overnight light snow showers can't be ruled out, maybe with a half-inch or so of accumulation if we're lucky.

Sunday: For the last day of 2023, cool air will certainly have moved in behind that cold front as highs only reach the upper 20s. Cloudy skies stick around.

Heading out to celebrate the New Year - or to head to the Vikings/Packers game? Partly to mostly cloudy skies are expected Sunday evening into the overnight hours with temperatures in the 20s (but feeling like the teens).

Highs right around 30F are expected across the state on the first day of 2024 with mainly sunny skies. This will be after temperatures start the day around 20F in the metro.

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Snowbirds are confused. Stay put or flee south? Should we pack a go-bag? "Paul, can you call me if you see a real snowstorm or arctic front approaching?" That will cost extra, sorry.

My green-ish lawn and drooping driveway stakes are testament to a freakishly mild month, probably the warmest December on record for most of Minnesota. 12.4F warmer than average in the Twin Cities, where we've seen 5 days in the 50s this month. For the record, last year at this time we had already picked up 33" of snow at MSP. So far this month only 1.3" snow has fallen; a whopping 4.5" for the "winter".

No arctic slaps in sight with just a few dribs and drabs of snow. A clipper Saturday night may drop a quick half inch of snow. Daytime highs will be in the 30s the first week of January, only 5-10 degrees above average. The next 3 weeks are historically the coldest of the year. Mostly heavy jackets, parkas optional.

Consider this: the hills of northern Alabama have picked up more snow this winter than the Twin Cities. Huh?

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THURSDAY: Peeks of sun, quiet. Wake up 31. High 39. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 10-15 mph.

FRIDAY: More sunshine, quite pleasant. Wake up 29. High 40. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind NW 8-13 mph.

SATURDAY: Flurries late. Coating to 1/2 inch? Wake up 28. High 35. Chance of precipitation 70%. Wind NW 10-20 mph.

SUNDAY: Sunny spells, drying out. Wake up 26. High 30. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind NW 10-20 mph.

MONDAY: Plenty of sun, above average temps. Wake up 23. High 34. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SW 8-13 mph.

WEDNESDAY: More clouds than sun. Wake up 26. High 33. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 8-13 mph.

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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
December 28th

*Length Of Day: 8 hours, 47 minutes, and 56 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: 0 minutes and 29 seconds

*When Do We Climb Above 9 Hours Of Daylight? January 10th (9 hours, 1 minutes, 15 seconds)
*When Is The Latest Sunrise? December 30th-January 5th (7:51 AM)
*When Are Sunsets At/After 5 PM? January 18th (5:01 PM)
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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.

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On Thursday, the same area of low pressure that has been impacting the central U.S. since Christmas is finally moving into the Ohio Valley with rain and snow potential. Another low off the Northeast coast brings rain, snow, and even icing potential to the region. Along the west coast, rain and higher-elevation snow will be possible with a frontal boundary in place.

Not a lot of snow is expected through the end of the week across the nation, with only a few inches of snow in the Cascades, Plains, Appalachians, and northern New England.

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American scientists explore Antarctica for oldest-ever ice to help understand climate change

More from CBS News: "They're braving some of the highest, driest, coldest and windiest conditions on the planet, but American scientists in Antarctica believe the effort is worth it. They're searching for a sample of the oldest ice ever found, which could help us better understand climate change. The expedition to Antarctica is part of COLDEX, a federally funded collaboration of American universities and science organizations. For the team carrying out this work near the South Pole, it means camping on the ice without showers or flushing toilets for seven weeks. Once researchers collect ice samples, scientists back in the U.S. will examine them for information about what the climate was like hundreds of thousands of years ago."

Extreme Weather Has Long-Term Health Consequences

A look back at US climate solutions this year

More from Grist: "Some of the most jarring ways the United States will feel the impacts of climate change began to reveal themselves this year. The U.S. saw a record-setting 25 billion-dollar natural disasters. Maui experienced the country's deadliest wildfire in the last century. Phoenix suffered temperatures over 110 degrees Fahrenheit for 31 consecutive days. Vermont endured epic floods. Despite all this, the Biden administration reneged on its promise and approved the Willow oil project in Alaska. But this year was also filled with news of encouraging, inspiring, and groundbreaking progress in the U.S., not least of which was its joining a global agreement to transition away from fossil fuels and pledging with its biggest rival, China, to accelerate renewables."

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