MSP Had Their First Subzero Low Wednesday, But Warmer Weather Awaits Thursday

Even as temperatures dropped Tuesday Night here in the Twin Cities, we did not drop below zero on Tuesday with an official low of 0F at 11:59 PM.

However, as temperatures continued to drop through the overnight hours, we did finally secure our first below zero low this season at MSP with a morning low of -7F. Areas in northwestern Minnesota dipped into the -20s, with the coldest low I could find being Hallock at -33F.

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We aren't likely dipping below zero in the Twin Cities Wednesday Night, with overall lows in the low to mid-single digits above zero. Highs will climb in the metro into the low and mid-20s on Thursday with more clouds than sun for most of the day.

With the clouds around Thursday, we could see some puffs of snow at times during the day that won't accumulate too much. Highs will be below zero in northwestern Minnesota but climb into the 20s across southern areas of the state.

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As we head toward the last day of 2021, another blast of cold air will move in across the state, bringing highs far below zero up toward Roseau and Grand Forks but in the teens above zero in southeastern parts of the state. A puff or two of snow might be possible at times, especially farther southwest, but accumulations look minimal if any snow does occur.

If you're heading out to celebrate the new year Friday Night, you're going to want those parkas! By the time we ring in 2022 at Midnight temperatures are expected to be below zero. However, with north-northwest winds around 10 mph, it'll feel much closer to -20F out!

The first day of 2022 is going to be VERY cold across the state, with temperatures in northern Minnesota bottoming out in the -20s and -30s and highs across much of the state not even making it to 0F. Our last below zero high in the Twin Cities was back on Valentine's Day of this year at -4F.

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And with highs not making it above zero during the day Saturday, that means it's going to be cold for the Winter Classic at Target Field Saturday evening. Temperatures will be in the single digits below zero throughout the game, feeling more like -20F. According to an article Tuesday evening, the NHL still plans on holding the game despite the cold weather. That article also had this fun, cold tidbit: "The coldest NHL outdoor game was the first, the Heritage Classic between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton on Nov. 22, 2003. The temperature at face-off was 0; the crowd was 57,167."

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With the cold air in place, that'll help push the storm track south this weekend. Heavier snow will fall from the Central Plains to Chicagoland Saturday into Sunday, with the potential for at least a half a foot of snow in some locations. Southeast Minnesota may get clipped by the snow Saturday.

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Saturday May Be Coldest Outdoor NHL Game Ever
By Paul Douglas

Minnesota got it's cold weather boasting rights back. Yes, winters are warming and shrinking over time, with fleeting spasms of subzero air - but most cold/snow seasons are minor league, compared to what our parents and grandparents routinely endured.

The coldest outdoor NHL game: The Heritage Classic, held in Edmonton on November 20, 2003. A crowd of 57,167 watched the Oilers and Canadiens, with a brisk temperature of 0F.

Saturday's NHL Winter Classic at Target Field may bring an air temperature of -5F with a windchill of -25F. Nanook.

I'm vaguely reassured it can still snow here. New York Mills, MN picked up 22.4" snow from Dec. 26-28. 21" of snow has fallen in the metro this month, a tie for 9th snowiest December on record.

Arctic air shoves the main storm track south of Minnesota, with 6-12" snow possible Des Moines to Chicago Saturday. A January thaw is possible Tuesday, but more subzero fun returns in a week. Old Man Winter isn't messing around. It's time to upgrade our winter wardrobes.

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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

THURSDAY: Cloudy, not as numbing. Wake up 7. High 25. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SE 7-12 mph.

FRIDAY: Cloudy with a few flakes. Wake up 10. High 13. Chance of precipitation 30%. Wind NW 10-20 mph.

SATURDAY: Bitter. Light snow far southern MN. Wake up -11. High -4. Chance of precipitation 30%. Wind NW 8-13 mph.

SUNDAY: Nippy start. Chilled sunlight. Wake up -14. High 8. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind S 5-10 mph.

MONDAY: Some sun, not as harsh. Wake up 5. High 26. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SW 7-12 mph.

TUESDAY: Peeks of sun, thaw possible. Wake up 13. High 30. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 7-12 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Another polar slap. Cold winds. Wake up 10. High 13. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind W 15-25 mph.

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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
December 30th

*Length Of Day: 8 hours, 49 minutes, and 30 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: 41 seconds

*When Do We See 9 Hours Of Daylight: January 9th (9 hours, 0 minutes, 29 seconds)
*Latest Sunrises Before We Start Gaining Morning Light: 7:51 AM between December 30th and January 5th
*Next Sunset At/After 5 PM: January 17th (5:00 PM)

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This Day in Weather History
December 30th

2005: A large swath of snowfall in the 6 to 8 inch range falls approximately north of a line from Madison to Redwood Falls through Glencoe and Woodbury. Even heavier snowfall occurred west of a Granite Falls to Willmar line, where reports of between 8 and 11 inches were recorded. In Willmar, several vehicles were reported stuck in ditches. A semi-truck also rolled onto its side.

1996: 6 to 7 inches of snow falls in Willmar. The new snowfall, in addition to previous heavy snowfall, caused a portion of the historical society's roof to collapse.

1980: A 'heat wave' develops across Minnesota. Redwood Falls hits 51.

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On Thursday, a system moving through the eastern and southern United States will bring storms from the Mid-Atlantic to the lower Mississippi Valley and a mix of precipitation in New England. More rounds of rain and snow will be expected out west.

Over three inches of rain could fall through the end of the week (and, technically, the end of the year) across portions of the Southeastern United States. Meanwhile, feet of snow could fall out in the Sierra and Rockies.

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Wildfires Broke Records around the World in 2021

More from Scientific American: "Carbon emissions from wildfires broke records around the world this summer, according to the European Union's Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. Parts of Siberia produced their highest fire-related emissions since the agency first began keeping tabs in 2003. Ditto for the western United States. Altogether, wildfires worldwide spewed about 1.76 billion metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere. That's not the highest on record, globally speaking. But it's still a staggering amount."

Here's What's Next for the Webb Space Telescope as It Hurtles Toward Deep Space

More from Gizmodo: "The Webb Space Telescope left Earth safe and sound on Christmas morning, and astronomers across the world breathed a sigh of relief. But the weeks ahead contain a series of hurdles that must be cleared for the $10 billion telescope to begin its scientific duties. On Monday night, Webb officially passed the orbital distance of the Moon, traveling over half a mile per second on its journey to its final destination. At time of writing, the telescope is over 305,000 miles from Earth, about a third of the way to its destination, a point in space called L2. (You can check the location of Webb here.) The telescope's current deployment step is what NASA calls its "second mid-course correction burn," meaning the second use of fuel to correct the spacecraft's trajectory toward its destination. Next up today is the beginning of the deployment of the all-important sunshield, which will protect the astronomical data Webb collects from heat. According to NASA, this will be "one of the most challenging spacecraft deployments NASA has ever attempted.""

13 battery gigafactories coming to the US by 2025 – ushering new era of US battery production

More from Electrek: "There are 13 new battery cell gigafactories coming online in the US by 2025, according to the Department of Energy. These factories are ushering in a new era of battery production in the US. Aside from Tesla and Panasonic's Gigafactory Nevada, which supplies battery cells for the production of Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, there has been limited battery cell production in the US. Asia – especially China, Japan, and South Korea – is where most battery cells for electric vehicles are coming from. With more electric vehicle production coming to the US, it's important that battery cell production also comes to the country, and several companies have made announcements to address the situation."

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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