Fire and ice: The latest on our cold snap in Minnesota and wildfires raging in California

NINA MOINI: Well, we're nearing the end of one of our chilliest cold snaps yet this winter. Temps are expected to warm up, though, today, and there are two chances of snow in the forecast. For a full weather report, MPR News Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner is here. Hi, Paul.

PAUL HUTTNER: Hey, Nina. Happy Wednesday, halfway through the week.

NINA MOINI: Oh, Happy Wednesday. It's been a chilly one this week, but I do want to start by mentioning these just awful three major wildfires that are spreading in the Los Angeles area. We've been hearing it from NPR throughout the show, that thousands of people have been told to evacuate. Some of the images are just hard to see. But what do you make of those, Paul?

PAUL HUTTNER: You know, this is one of the most extreme examples of Santa Ana winds that they've had in California, probably 10 or 20 years or so, and there is a Minnesota connection. When we get these cold air outbreaks, like you're talking about, that cold air sags south, pushes through the Rocky Mountains, and then descends down into California from the Great Basin. And when it does, that wind accelerates through the mountain passes.

That's why we got a gust to 99 miles an hour last night near Altadena. And it also dries and warms, so it's extreme fire weather. They put out what's called a Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning, a PDS. That's like a PDS Tornado Watch.

So this is the most extreme of the most extreme Santa Ana wind events there. They'll catch a break later tonight and tomorrow. But, Nina, those winds could crank up again on Friday.

NINA MOINI: That's too bad, and it's so interesting to hear how different regions and areas are connected through weather. And speaking of, 2024 was the warmest year on record globally. I feel like we've been hearing that for many years. Just how warm was it in Minnesota?

PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, and we have been hearing that because the last 11 years are the 11 warmest years globally, and Minnesota was the warmest year on record in 2024 as well. And what a different winter we have also because last winter was the warmest winter on record. This winter, kind of a real winter. We were four degrees warmer than normal last winter. That's like living in Des Moines, Nina, as far as average temperatures.

But this year, a little bit above in January, normal temperatures were about five degrees colder than normal so far in January. I should say, we were a little bit above in December, so closer to normal this year. But there's not much snow out there. The snowfall deficit is growing. It's one to two feet across Minnesota right now, about a foot less than normal in the Twin Cities and two feet less than up north.

Here's the outlook, though, as we go through January. It looks like temperatures will be normal to below normal. So I think we're going to stay cold, and there are a couple of snow chances in the forecast.

NINA MOINI: Yeah, how are we tracking for temperatures and snowfall so far this winter?

PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, we're well below normal on snow, about one to two feet across Minnesota, about a foot below normal in the Twin Cities. Nina, this system coming in tomorrow, it looks like will bring a chance of light snow, but maybe a better chance on the weekend, pretty nice clipper coming in that could bring maybe one to three inches of snow to much of Minnesota, from Fargo-Moorhead down to I-94, Saint Cloud into the Twin Cities. And it looks like the European model a little more aggressive, maybe as much as four inches. Nina, I think Twin Cities, one to three maybe, one to four with that snow, mainly Saturday night and Sunday.

NINA MOINI: OK. And so have you looked through the weekend into next week, or how far ahead are you tracking snow?

PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, it looks like this first little shot tomorrow afternoon will be light, just a candy coating of snow. Highs are in the 20s, though, as we head through the next few days, so it'll be a little milder. And then that clipper on the weekend looks like the one that could deliver one to three inches, mainly on Sunday. Temperatures cooling off again as we head into early next week, though. It looks like we'll be below average, maybe some more subzero readings up north and around zero in the Twin Cities for overnight lows.

NINA MOINI: OK. And I see in your notes, a Venus is a rare sight high in the southwest sky lately. That's super cool. Can we see that here?

PAUL HUTTNER: Absolutely. It's super bright. Venus is typically a morning star, but it's an evening star this winter. And it's actually the highest in the evening sky in our lifetimes. This hasn't happened in more than 80 years.

So if you go outside after dark, look south, and to your right will be bright Venus. It's the brightest object other than the moon. Then a little bit to the left of that, faint red Jupiter, then the moon, more toward your left shoulder. And then left of you, Saturn and Orion rising in the eastern sky, so it's a beautiful time to be skywatching if we get some clear nights.

NINA MOINI: Super cool. Thanks for that. Paul, what's on tap for Climate Cast this week?

PAUL HUTTNER: Well, as we mentioned, last year was the hottest year globally. There's three different surface data sets that will be finalized here soon on that. We'll talk with Jeff Masters from Yale Climate Communications about that trend and about these past 11 years, which are the hottest 11 years on record, Nina. It's a trend that doesn't seem to be changing a bit.

NINA MOINI: All right, Paul. Thanks so much.

PAUL HUTTNER: Thanks, Nina.

NINA MOINI: That was MPR News Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner.