Mostly Sunny Start To The Week With Little Precipitation In Sight

While Saturday's system didn't produce as much accumulating snow as I expected (thanks to daytime temperatures just a few degrees too warm for the light precipitation), we did get some accumulation once temperatures started cooling near sunset. The metro saw a general half inch or so of snowfall, but up toward Chisago City, there were CoCoRaHS reports up to 2". MSP Airport officially picked up 0.4" of snowfall on Saturday, bringing the season total up to 4.5" (6.4" below average so far).

Up across northern Minnesota, where cooler air was in place, nearly 3" fell near McGregor, with 1-2" around Grand Rapids and the Brainerd Lakes area.

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While we will see some clouds around during the morning hours, a mostly sunny day can be expected. Morning lows will be around 20F in the metro - but it'll feel more like the single digits as you head off to work or send the kids off to the bus stop. Highs will climb to the upper 30s.

A few snow showers are possible across northern Minnesota during the afternoon and evening hours on Monday, and a few could even be possible in far western Minnesota late in the day. These would be along/just behind a cold front that will bring in a burst of cooler air for Tuesday. However, on Monday, highs will range from the upper 20s in northwestern Minnesota to the low 40s in southwest Minnesota.

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Once we get past Monday...

Wednesday: More sunshine, and we start to see a warm-up commence again on the back of southwesterly winds. Highs reach the mid/upper 30s.

As we head into the second half of the week, highs will leap upward into the mid-40s as southwesterly flow continues. While most of the week will be dry in the metro, I can't rule out a few rain showers on Friday - though chances are better to our south and east.

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Winter On Perpetual Hold Next 2-3 Weeks
By Paul Douglas

Welcome to Wichita! Enjoy our rolling prairies, verdant farmland and 30s and 40s into early 2024. It's like winter, without the snow or finger-freezing polar punches.

Expect sunshine today (Saturday's icy coating melts quickly). Expect more 40s from Thursday into Sunday, with 30s (above zero!) into New Year's Eve. No plowable snowstorms, no debilitating wind chill. Wow.

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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

MONDAY: Partly sunny and pleasant. Wake up 21. High 38. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind S 10-15 mph.

TUESDAY: Some sun, a chilly breeze. Wake up 23. High 30. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind NW 10-20 mph.

THURSDAY: Blue sky, trending milder. Wake up 29. High 46. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind SW 10-20 mph.

FRIDAY: Clouds increase, still mild. Wake up 34. High 45. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind SW 8-13 mph.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy, a bit cooler. Wake up 31. High 40. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind W 10-15 mph.

SUNDAY: Mix of clouds and sun. Wake up 32. High 42. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 10-15 mph.

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*Length Of Day: 8 hours, 50 minutes, and 29 seconds
*Daylight LOST Since Yesterday: 0 minutes and 51 seconds

*Day With The Least Amount Of Sunlight: December 21st (8 hours, 46 minutes, 10 seconds)
*When Is The Latest Sunrise? December 30th-January 5th (7:51 AM)
*What Is The Earliest Sunset? December 8th-14th (4:31 PM)
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This Day in Weather History
December 11th

2010: A blizzard hits much of southern Minnesota. Minneapolis saw a December record 16.3 inches of snow in one calendar day and much of the metro area saw between 15 and 20 inches of snow.

1983: Nine cars fall through the ice at the same time on Buffalo Lake in central Minnesota. There was only 5 to 6 inches of ice on the lake.

1916: Montevideo has its fifty-second consecutive day with no precipitation.

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A system will continue to impact the Northeastern United States on Monday, bringing heavy rain and interior snowfall with strong winds. That system will eventually push out of the region throughout the day, but snow will linger into the evening hours. Out west, another system working east will bring rain and snow chances.

From Sunday through Monday, areas of the eastern United States could see 2-5" of rain, leading to flooding concerns.

Over a foot of snow could fall in the higher elevations of the Northern Rockies and parts of the Northeast.

Multiple dead as tornadoes tear through Tennessee: 'Sad day for our community'

More from ABC News: "Six people died and at least 36 others were injured Saturday after severe tornadoes touched down in parts of Tennessee, officials said. Three people died and 23 were injured following a tornado in Montgomery County, Tennessee, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said. Officials said that it was two adults and one child who died. Another three people were dead after severe weather in Nashville, the city's emergency office said. Thirteen people were injured following a church building collapse, the office said, adding that they're currently listed in stable condition. "This is a sad day for our community. We are praying for those who are injured, lost loved ones, and lost their homes. This community pulls together like no other and we will be here until the end," Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden said in a statement."

US smashes solar records in 2023 – but 2024 will bring road bumps

More from Electrek: "The US is expected to add a record-setting 33 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity in 2023, according to a new report, but 2024 will bring challenges to the industry. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie released their latest report, "US Solar Market Insight Q4 2023," in which they report that third-quarter (Q3) additions of new solar totaled 6.5 gigawatts (GW) – a 35% year-over-year increase – as federal clean energy policies begin to take hold. California and Texas led the US for new solar installations in Q3, and Indiana ranked third with 663 megawatts (MW) of new capacity as several large utility-scale projects came online. Fourteen states and Puerto Rico installed more than 100 MW of new solar capacity in Q3. While economic challenges are beginning to impact the solar and storage industry, solar is still expected to be the largest source of generating capacity on the US grid by 2050."

Lithium-ion battery prices are falling again

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Thanks for checking in and have a great day!

- D.J. Kayser