Snow Totals From Saturday/Saturday Night

Snow ended across the region Saturday night, leaving the area with some fresh powder to get into on Sunday! This picture was from a hike I took with my wife at Bend in the River Regional Park in Rice on Sunday.

Overall a good 2-5" of snow fell in most places across central and southern Minnesota Saturday and Saturday night. The top total was out in Westbrook (southwestern Minnesota) where 6" of snow was reported.

Here are the official climate station reports from the Twin Cities National Weather Service office. 5.3" of the MSP Airport total fell on Saturday, falling just short of the daily record of 5.7" set back in 1949. The additional 0.3" fell early Sunday morning.

_______________________________________________

Warm January - And Meteorological Winter - So Far

Our warmer than average January has continued over the past week, even though we finally saw our first few days that contributed a daily negative departure from average to the value on the 19th, 22nd, and 23rd. So far this month our average temperature has been 22.8F, which is 7.4F degrees above average. This ranks as the 11th warmest January to date on record.

The warmer than average weather extends into full meteorological winter so far as well, which run from December 1 through the end of February. So far since December 1, our average temperature has been 24.2F, which ranks as the 11th warmest on record to date. You can see the beginning of winter 2018-29 down in 14th place, with 2011-12 up in 6th.

_______________________________________________

Where Are The Sub-Zeros?

With the warmer than average January - and winter - so far, we haven't seen that many sub-zero lows in the Twin Cities so far. In fact, we've seen zero so far this month, which if we don't see any the rest of the month would be tied with 2006 and 1990 for the least on record for the month. So far this winter we've only seen two days where the low has dipped below zero, which is tied for the 3rd least to date (2002 and 1932 had only observed one day in winter with a sub-zero low through January 23rd).

_______________________________________________

A January With No Subzero Chill?
By Paul Douglas

20s...above zero? That's grilling weather in Minnesota. Where is the cold air? We experienced a couple subzero nights in December, but so far January, the coldest month of the year, has not seen a single night of negative fun at MSP. We normally enjoy 10 nights of negative numbers in January, by the way.

If we avoid subzero chill the rest of this month (possible) it'll be the first time since 2006, and only the third time since modern-day records began in 1872.

January is running 7.4F warmer than average at MSP, and according to Dr. Mark Seeley, January 2021 may wind up as one of the 5 warmest on record, statewide.

A persistent Pacific flow is to thank (or blame) and temperatures mellow to near 30F next weekend before cooling down the second week of February.

Dry weather lingers into Saturday morning, but a southern storm may rotate moisture into Minnesota Saturday PM into Sunday, with more accumulating snow.

We're seeing the snow without polar cold. Reminder: winter of 2013-14: 53 nights below zero.

_______________________________________________

Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

MONDAY: Sunny, cool breeze. Wake up 2. High 18. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NE 10-15 mph.

TUESDAY: Plenty of sun, still chilly. Wake up 7. High 17. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NE 8-13 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny and quiet. Wake up 2. High 16. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind N 3-8 mph.

THURSDAY: Mix of clouds and sunshine. Wake up 3. High 22. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SE 8-13 mph.

FRIDAY: Some sun, milder than average. Wake up 11. High 27. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind E 10-15 mph.

SATURDAY: Wet snow possible PM hours. Wake up 18. High 29. Chance of precipitation 50%. Wind E 10-20 mph.

SUNDAY: Snow lingers, some accumulation? Wake up 24. High 28. Chance of precipitation 70%. Wind NE 8-13 mph.

_______________________________________________

This Day in Weather History
January 25th

1964: A record high temperature of 64 is set at Redwood Falls.

_______________________________________________

Average Temperatures & Precipitation for Minneapolis
January 25th

Average High:24F (Record: 58F set in 1944)
Average Low:7F (Record: -31F set in 1904)
Average Precipitation:0.02" (Record: 0.50" set in 1950)
Average Snowfall: 0.4" (Record: 7.5" in 1950)
Record Snow Depth: 32" in 1982

_______________________________________________

Sunrise/Sunset Times for Minneapolis
January 25th

Sunrise:7:39 AM
Sunset:5:11 PM

*Length Of Day:9 hours,31 minutes and51 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday:~2 minute and 19 seconds

*When Do We Climb To 10 Hours Of Daylight?February 6th (10 hours,2 minutes, and 34 seconds)
*When Is The Sunrise At/Before 7:30 AM?: February 3rd (7:29 AM)
*When Is The Sunset At/After 5:30 PM? February 7th (5:30 PM)

_______________________________________________

Twin Cities And Minnesota Weather Outlook

It'll be a chilly start to the workweek in the Twin Cities, with morning temperatures starting off in the mid-single digits (above zero), climbing to a high right around 20F. The day will start off mainly sunny, but more clouds will start to sneak on in during the afternoon.

A few snow showers may be possible early Monday morning across portions of northwestern Minnesota, otherwise, the day is expected to be calm across the state. Cloudier skies can be expected in northern Minnesota and far southern portions of the state, but a mix of sun and clouds to mainly sunny skies are expected elsewhere. Highs will range from just above zero in far northwestern portions of Minnesota to the low 20s in southeastern Minnesota.

These highs on Monday will be below average across the entire state. The average high for the Twin Cities on January 25th is 24F.

Highs will remain fairly steady around 20F through the beginning and middle of the week. By the end of the week we should see some warmer air start working in, bringing highs back to around freezing for Friday.

_______________________________________________

National Weather Forecast

As we head into Monday we will be tracking a couple of areas of low pressure across the United States. The first, moving from near Oklahoma City Monday morning to near Pittsburgh by Tuesday morning, will bring a wide swath of snow, ice, and storms from the central and southern Plains to the Southeast and up toward New York City. Heavy snow is expected with this system from Kansas to Illinois. A second low, across the Southwest, will bring rain and higher elevation snow.

Through Tuesday evening, a few areas of heavy rain will be possible across the nation. This includes areas from the Southern Plains into the Mid-Atlantic states and out along portions of the west coast including southern California. In these areas at least 1-3" of rain could fall. Looking at snow, a band of at least 6-12" of snow could fall from portions of northern Kansas to Chicago through the beginning of the week. Heavy mountain snow can be expected out west as well, with several feet possible, especially in the Sierras and in Arizona.

Here's a closer look at the expected snowfall tallies across the upper Midwest to begin the week. Some areas of northern Kansas, southeastern Nebraska, and southern Iowa could see a foot of snow.

Due to the expected snow across the upper Midwest, Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in place.

_______________________________________________

"Super puff" exoplanet is as big as Jupiter but 10 times lighter, confusing astronomers

More from CBS News: "About 212 light years from Earth, a gas giant light enough to be nicknamed a "super-puff" or "cotton candy" planet is circling extremely close to its host star. The exoplanet is so light, it's left astronomers questioning everything we previously knew about how gas giants form. This super-puff exoplanet, known as WASP-107b, is about the same size as Jupiter, but only about one-tenth the mass — or about 30 times more massive than Earth. According to a new study published Monday in The Astronomical Journal, its core mass is significantly smaller than astronomers thought necessary for the creation of a gas giant planet like Jupiter and Saturn."

Why cats are crazy for catnip

More from Science Magazine: "Cat owners flood the internet with videos of their kitties euphorically rolling and flipping out over catnip-filled bags and toys. But exactly how catnip—and a substitute, known as silver vine—produces this feline high has long been a mystery. Now, a study suggests the key intoxicating chemicals in the plants activate cats' opioid systems much like heroin and morphine do in people. Moreover, the study concludes that rubbing the plants protects the felines against mosquito bites. "This study essentially has revealed a new potential mosquito repellent" by examining the "pharmaceutical knowledge" of cats, says Emory University biologist Jacobus de Roode, who did not participate in the study."

How hemp can help to moderate the climate crisis

More from Climate News Network: "There are high hopes that new technology and novel materials may save the world from the worst of the climate crisis. Fine. But don't forget some of the old remedies − like hemp. In the UK, hemp used to be a common crop which it was a patriotic duty to grow. In 1535 the English king, Henry the Eighth, required all farmers to sow a quarter of an acre (1,000 square metres) of hemp for every 60 acres they owned."

_______________________________________________

Thanks for checking in and have a great day! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@dkayserwx) and like me on Facebook (Meteorologist D.J. Kayser).

- D.J. Kayser