Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Dense fog advisories include the Twin Cities

Thick freezing fog again overnight. Temperatures remain above normal for January.

Dense Fog Advisory
Dense Fog Advisory
Twin Cities National Weather Service

Gray is the color palette of choice for Minnesota’s weather this week.

Thick blankets of fog will cover much of Minnesota again overnight into Friday morning. As temperatures drop to the dew point, the fog will reduce visibilities to less than 1/4 mile in many locations.

Dense fog advisories are posted for much of Minnesota into Friday morning.

Including the cities of Center City, Minneapolis, Blaine, St Paul, Gaylord, Chanhassen, Chaska, Victoria, Shakopee, Redwood Falls, New Ulm, St Peter, Le Sueur, St James, Mankato, and Fairmont

234 PM CST Thu Jan 7 2021 ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM CST FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog.

* WHERE...Portions of central, east central, south central and southwest Minnesota.

* WHEN...From 8 PM this evening to 11 AM CST Friday.

* IMPACTS...Hazardous driving conditions due to low visibility.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Slick spots on roads, overpasses, and sidewalks are also possible as the fog freezes on exposed surfaces.

Steady temperature pattern

Overall weather patterns are fairly stable across the Upper Midwest. Daily high temperatures will continue to run in the 20s to near 30 through the weekend across Minnesota.

Forecast high temperatures Saturday
Forecast high temperatures Saturday
NOAA

Still watching potential cold

The upper air pattern still suggests a cold air intrusion into the Upper Midwest in about 10 days to 2 weeks.

Upper air forecast map for 6 pm January 21
Upper air forecast map for 6 pm January 21
NOAA

Thursday’s forecast models backed off on the magnitude of the cold a bit, but that’s pretty typical to see fluctuations this far out. NOAA’s latest GFS 16-day outlook suggests a few nights of temperature near or below zero (as cold as -15?) in the Twin Cities between January 16 and 23.

NOAA GFS model 16-day temperature outlook for Twin Cities
NOAA GFS model 16-day temperature outlook for Twin Cities
NOAA via Meteostar

NOAA’s 8-14 day temperature outlook favors near average temperatures overall.

NOAA 8 to 14-day temperature outlook
NOAA 8 to 14-day temperature outlook
NOAA

The average high and low for January 20 in the Twin Cities are 24 and 7.