It still gets cold in these parts, but not as cold as it did 45 years ago. We are seeing fewer subzero nights than we did in the ’80s and ’90s, statewide.
Douglas: Winter is getting warmer
We might see 1-2 inches of snow this weekend
The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 6, 2025 at 10:42PM
Praedictix meteorologist and data wonk DJ Kayser used regression analysis on thermometer data. Not a theory. Not a model. Professional weather observers looking at their thermometers. The Twin Cities went from a mean of 27 nights below zero in 1980 to 16 nights in 2023. “It’s the urban heat island!” Brainerd? From 49 to 32 subzero nights. Collegeville? From 32 to 26 subzero nights. Milan, Minn., went from 37 to 28 subzero nights in the last 45 years. Winter is the fastest-warming season, and we’re seeing it in the data. Maybe the Chamber of Commerce can use this to attract people scared of our winters?
Kansas City has a foot of snow on the ground, but the juiciest storms continue to track well south of Minnesota. Models hint at 1 to 2 inches of fluff this weekend. A thaw arrives the third week of January. Any (real) snow will have to fall in February/March. Feeling lucky?
No major snowstorms on the way, and a January thaw is still more than a week out.
