Some Light Snow Sunday With Warmer Temperatures

Out latest snowstorm moved through the region Friday, bringing a swath of snow mainly near/along I-94 southward. The heaviest totals of 6"+ were along and south of the Minnesota River. The top total out of Minnesota was 1 mile southwest of Russell, which saw 11" of snow. We also saw a lake effect snow band bring 7.7" of snow 3 miles northeast of Hermantown.

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We are going to be watching the chance of some snow moving across the state as we head through Saturday Night into Sunday. The loop above goes from Midnight Saturday Night through Midnight Sunday Night. That first band looks to reach the Twin Cities around 6-8 AM Sunday, bringing up to a quick quarter-inch of snow with it. The second round of snow times itself out for the late afternoon hours, with only light accumulations.

The NWS snowfall forecast shows generally light amounts from this snow across northern and eastern Minnesota. The heaviest amounts will be in the Arrowhead and Iron Range with up to an inch possible.

So we'll watch the snow chances across the state on Sunday, but highs will be a lot warmer than what we saw Saturday, climbing into the 20s and 30s. In parts of northwestern Minnesota, these highs will be 15-20F degrees above average.

So we'll watch some snow showers at times Sunday in the Twin Cities, particularly in the early morning hours and again later in the afternoon. Morning temperatures start off in the mid-teens with highs topping off around 30F.

Highs will remain above average through the beginning of the week in the Twin Cities. They will take a slight step backward on Monday due to a cold front in the area - only reaching the mid-20s - before climbing to the low 30s with a warm front once again Tuesday. However, another cold front quickly swings on through and Canadian high pressure will move in Wednesday into the second half of the week, kicking highs back downward. Highs Wednesday and Thursday will be a good 15F to 20F degrees below average in the single digits above zero. Temperatures should moderate a touch heading into Friday and early next weekend.

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While we had a very cold start to December, with six of the first ten days of the month with an average temperature of at least 10F degrees below average, we did see a warmer period of weather between Tuesday and Friday this past week. While Saturday isn't listed here, I guarantee you it'll be in the blue colors.

The warmer weather has caused the average temperature for the month through Friday to climb to 10.8F, -5.7F from average, cold enough for the 54th coldest start to the month on record.

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Fairly Quiet With A Few Arctic Smacks
By Paul Douglas

"The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places," wrote Ernest Hemmingway. There is an unbreakable bond that forms among troops and civilians in wartime. My hope, more prayer than prediction, is that the events of the last 2 years will bind us together, our better angels will prevail, and we will all emerge stronger in the broken places.

It's sweet relief complaining about the weather these days. If anyone asks, we've picked up over 26 minutes of daylight since December 21. If history is any guide a higher sun angle begins to finally warm things up a little by late January. No sign of an early spring, in fact a few more arctic vacations are inevitable.

Flurries may coat the ground later today, with 8-10" for far northern Minnesota over the next 10 days, but little snow at MSP. After a polar punch Thursday and Friday, temperatures recover next weekend. ECMWF is trending a bit milder than NOAA's models for late January, but I wouldn't pack away the heavy parkas anytime soon.

Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

SUNDAY: Coating to 1" snow. Wake up 11. High 31. Chance of precipitation 70%. Wind W 8-13 mph.

MONDAY: Cloudy, relatively mild. Wake up 18. High 28. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind SW 5-10 mph.

TUESDAY: Some sun with a welcome thaw. Wake up 25. High 34. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind S 8-13 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Sunny, brisk. Feels like -20F. Wake up -1. High 5. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 15-25 mph.

FRIDAY: Some sun, emerging from hibernation. Wake up -16. High 5. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind S 10-15 mph.

SATURDAY: Clouds, happy to be average again. Wake up 9. High 26. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SW 8-13 mph.

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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
January 16th

*Length Of Day: 9 hours, 12 minutes, and 12 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: 1 minute and 51 seconds

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This Day in Weather History
January 16th

1921: Winds gusting up to 59 mph create a 'sand blizzard' across southwest Minnesota and a snowstorm across the north.

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The system that has swung into the Deep South will start to make its way northward along the Eastern Seaboard on Sunday, bringing snow and ice impacts along with it from the Southeast to eventually New England Sunday Night. Some light snow will be possible over the western Great Lakes.

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Tsunami advisory in effect for US as waves hit Tonga following volcanic eruption

More from CNN: "A tsunami has hit Tonga's largest island, Tongatapu, and reportedly sent waves flooding into the capital after an underwater volcano in the South Pacific exploded in a violent eruption on Saturday, sending a cloud of ash and gas steam into the air. ... Satellite imagery shows a massive ash cloud and shockwaves spreading from the eruption. Waves crossed the shoreline of Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, on Saturday, flowing onto coastal roads and flooding properties, according to CNN affiliate Radio New Zealand (RNZ). Tonga's King Tupou VI was evacuated from the Royal Palace after the tsunami flooded the capital, RNZ reported, citing local media reports that a convoy of police and troops rushed the monarch to a villa at Mata Ki Eua."

Australia ties Southern Hemisphere's all-time heat record of 123°F; epic heat cooks Argentina

More from Yale Climate Connections: "It's the peak of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and this week historic heat waves have hit both Australia and South America. On Thursday, January 13, one of the most iconic world weather records was tied when a ferocious heat wave in Western Australia sent the mercury soaring to 50.7 degrees Celsius (123.3°F) in the coastal city of Onslow. This tied the previous all-time heat record for hottest temperature for the entire Southern Hemisphere, set on January 2, 1960, at Oodnadatta Airport in South Australia."

More from Gizmodo: "Calling all climate journalists: Your dream job awaits, courtesy of Chevron. The oil giant is looking to hire people with journalistic experience to build out a "newsroom"—quotes around that word included in the job posting—to help spread propaganda the good news about Chevron. The new venture was first reported by E&E on Friday. In a hilarious twist that merits nomination for its own Pulitzer, E&E first learned of the new venture when one of its own reporters was approached by Cella, the staffing agency doing the hiring for Chevron. The recruiter told the staffer that the job is a "great opportunity to join Chevron's newsroom at [its] infancy." When the E&E reporter asked what topics the position would write about and if climate change would be included, the recruiter said it would be covering "all things Chevron.""

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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