Mostly Cloudy Sunday, But More Snow Chances (And Colder Air) This Upcoming Week

A band of snow that moved south to north across the metro Friday Night led to some wintry scenes across the metro Saturday morning! That lead to some 0.5-0.7" totals across the western metro, and upwards of 0.8" near North Branch and Chisago City.

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As another wave of snowfall moves across southern Minnesota through Saturday Night, an additional quarter to three-quarters of an inch of snow could fall across the region. Up north, Saturday/Saturday Night snow totals will be a touch heavier with up to 2" in spots - mainly north of Mille Lacs and over into the Arrowhead.

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Mainly cloudy skies are expected Sunday behind snow Saturday evening in the metro, though some peeks of sun can't be ruled out late in the day. Temperatures will stay fairly steady in the mid/upper 20s.

While skies will be mostly cloudy across a good portion of the state on Sunday, some clearing skies can't be ruled out in southern Minnesota and across the Arrowhead during the afternoon hours. Highs will range from the teens in northern Minnesota to the upper 20s in southeastern areas - potentially touching 30F in western Wisconsin.

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Forecast loop between Midnight Sunday Night and 6 PM Tuesday.

As a major system passes to our south early next week, southern/eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin will be clipped by the far northwestern edge of the system. While this won't lead to the heavy snowfall tallies expected to our south and southeast from this system - including areas like Omaha, Milwaukee, and Chicago - we could see upwards of about an inch or so of snow in the metro with 2-3" possible in southwestern Minnesota.

Forecast loop between 6 AM Wednesday and 6 PM Thursday.

After that early week system passes mostly to our south, we could see a few more snow chances through the end of the week and into next weekend - with potentially more chances after that into the middle of the month. We are going to have to get a few days closer to these other chances to start to get an idea of what they really will be capable of. If you see people start posting long-range snow amount forecasts on social media... take them with a grain of salt! However, it does certainly look like we'll continue to freshen up (and hopefully ADD to) the snow that is on the ground for outdoor winter activities.

Behind our systems next week, colder air will rush into the Upper Midwest from Canada, leading to highs in the teens (and potentially single digits) late next week into the beginning of the third week of January. This would be the coldest air of the winter so far! The coldest low the metro has seen so far this winter was 8F back on November 28th. The coldest high was the day before - November 27th - at 21F.

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Sliding Into A Couple Of Very Cold Weeks
By Paul Douglas

I get a cookie every time I mention "polar vortex". Thank you. Polar Vortex. Next weekend daytime highs will be stuck in single digits as mid-January brings 3-5 nights below zero.

Welcome back to reality. January is, after all, the coldest, snowiest month of the year. And the so-called polar vortex (cookie please) is a permanent fixture, a swirling ocean of bitter polar air that sometimes comes rushing southward with a vengeance. This next swipe won't be record-setting, but it will get your attention.

We were spoiled by December. Dr. Mark Seely says 8 of the last 10 Decembers were milder than average. Since 1990 December statewide temperatures have warmed a whopping 6.7F. He attributes 70% of this winter's warmth to climate change, 30% to a natural phenomena, El Nino. There's little doubt it's a 1-2 punch and models suggest the rest of winter will trend milder too, in spite of a few arctic hiccups.

ECMWF predict 4" of snow for MSP by next Sunday. Coming in spurts, enough to cover the ground. Ice anyone?

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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy, dry. Wake up 23. High 29. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 7-12 mph.

MONDAY: Periods of light snow, slushy. Wake up 24. High 34. Chance of precipitation 70%. Wind E 7-12 mph.

TUESDAY: Light snow tapers. Coating to 1". Wake up 29. High 32. Chance of precipitation 70%. Wind N 10-20 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Another wave of light snow. Wake up 28. High 30. Chance of precipitation 70%. Wind W 5-10 mph.

THURSDAY: Icy and colder. Couple inches of snow. Wake up 9. High 14. Chance of precipitation 80%. Wind NW 15-30 mph.

FRIDAY: Few flakes, feels like -15F. Wake up -2. High 6. Chance of precipitation 40%. Wind N 10-20 mph.

SATURDAY: Coating of light snow? Nippy. Wake up -4. High 5. Chance of precipitation 50%. Wind NW 10-20 mph.

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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
January 7th

*Length Of Day: 8 hours, 57 minutes, and 5 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: 1 minute and 14 seconds

*When Do We Climb Above 9 Hours Of Daylight? January 10th (9 hours, 1 minutes, 15 seconds)
*When Are Sunrises At/Below 7:30 AM? February 3rd (7:30 AM)
*When Are Sunsets At/After 5 PM? January 18th (5:01 PM)
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This Day in Weather History
January 7th

2003: Record warmth develops over Minnesota. Many places reached the 50s, including the Twin Cities. St. James hit 59 and the Twin Cities reached 51. Nine golf courses were open in the Twin Cities and 100 golfers were already at the Sundance Golf Course in Maple Grove in the morning.

1873: A storm named the 'Great Blizzard' hits Minnesota. This three-day blizzard caused extreme hardship for pioneers from out east who were not used to the cold and snow. Visibility was down to three feet. Cows suffocated in the deep drifts and trains were stuck for days. More than 70 people died, and some bodies were not found until spring. Weather conditions before the storm were mild, just like the Armistice Day storm.

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On Sunday, we continue to track the snowstorm hitting the Northeastern United States, bringing heavy snowfall and coastal flood concerns. Meanwhile, we're keeping an eye back out to the west where our next system to go coast-to-coast is, bringing a wide swath of snow with it.

The heaviest precipitation through Monday evening will be in the Pacific Northwest, where some locations could see over three inches of liquid (at the higher elevations, that will be locked up in snowfall).

Pockets of a foot or more of snow are expected in the western mountain ranges - including the Cascades, Sierra, and Rockies - through Monday morning. We're also still watching the heavy snow in the Northeast Sunday, leading to overall totals of over a foot in some interior areas.

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Ski resorts struggle with winter running late across U.S. and Canada

More from Axios: "Ski areas across the U.S. and Canada are in increasingly desperate need of natural snow for a ski season that typically would already be in full swing. The big picture: From the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada on eastward, milder and drier than average conditions have prevailed, preventing resorts from building up a wintry base for would-be skiers. This season offers a preview of future winters, as the season warms faster than any other, partly in response to human-caused climate change. Zoom in: The strong El Niño in the tropical Pacific Ocean is affecting weather patterns globally and can lead to unusually wet conditions in the West. This can be a huge boost to mountain snow cover there if temperatures are cold enough; so far this year, the right conditions have not come together yet. Instead, the Sierra Nevada has seen an anemic start to its snow season, with bare ground visible between patches of the white stuff on satellite imagery."

As climate risks increase, Mississippi River towns look to each other for solutions

More from Grist: "Cities and towns across the Mississippi River basin have always needed to weather the environmental disasters associated with living along a river. The past few years have brought wild fluctuations between flooding and drought, bringing more stress to the communities nestled along the Mississippi's 2,350 miles. In the last five years alone, they've seen springtime flooding, flash flooding, significant drought, and low river levels, with opposite ends of this spectrum sometimes occurring in the same calendar year. "When these rivers have disasters, the disaster doesn't stay in the river," said Colin Wellenkamp, executive director of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative. "It damages a lot of businesses, homes, sidewalks, and streets; even broadband conduit and all kinds of utilities, mains and water return systems.""

5 easy ways to live greener in 2024

More from CNN: "It sounds like such a great resolution for the new year: I'm going to live greener. But what would it actually take to live a life that's better for our planet, when so much of the harm done is beyond our control? The climate crisis is not your fault, but that doesn't mean there's nothing you can do. Collectively, we can have a positive impact by making some pretty basic lifestyle changes. Here are five easy ways to get started in 2024."

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Thanks for checking in and have a great day!

- D.J. Kayser