Welcome to the Arctic
Are you ready for winter? Take a look at the 850mb temp anomaly across the nation as we head through the next 7 to 10 days. This will be some of the coldest air of the season by far and it will also be some of the coldest air in the Midwest since February of last winter with daytime highs in the single digits and subzero overnight lows. Get ready!

COLD Mid January Temperatures
Temps in the Twin Cities over the next several days will see a significant temperature drop. Readings will be MUCH colder as we approach the weekend and into early next week. Daytime highs may only warm into the single digits with overnight lows in the sub-zero range, which will be some of the coldest air in 11 months.

Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index (AWSSI)
"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.

"Mild" Winter So Far in for the Twin Cities
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.

Seasonal Snowfall So Far
The Twin Cities has only seen 7" of snow this season, which is nearly -16.0" below normal snowfall.

Seasonal Snowfall Departure From Average
Looking around the region, no climate site has a surplus this season. 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.