It can still get really cold in a warming world. Just not as cold, or as long. Last winter featured a strong El Niño warming of the Pacific Ocean, with consistently strong west-to-east steering winds keeping us unusually balmy.
Douglas: Outlook is mild, with more rain than snow
After a chilly Saturday around 30 degrees, 40s return from next week into mid-March.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
February 27, 2025 at 10:02PM
We’ve been dealing with a La Niña cooling phase of the Pacific this winter, which often results in colder weather for Minnesota.
There is emerging research linking rapid warming of the Arctic (“Arctic amplification”) with changes in the jet stream. Weaker winds aloft may set the stage for brief and intense polar vortex outbreaks. Milder overall most winters, but every now and then Siberian air gets shoved down your throat.
Nothing subzero in sight; in fact, after a chilly Saturday around 30 degrees, 40s return from next week into mid-March. Weather models show a couple of days of 50s and even 60s in the second week of March.
There will be wintry relapses, but no slush is imminent. A rain shower today, with steadier rain ending as slush the middle of next week. Whom do I have to bribe to get a legitimate snowstorm?
After a chilly Saturday around 30 degrees, 40s return from next week into mid-March.