Arctic attack: blizzard and winter storm warnings; subzero chills
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2019 blows in on bitter breezes across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. The season's strongest arctic front so far brings subzero temperatures, snow, and some ice. The forecast maps are colorful, to say the least.
This is one of those days where the weather is literally trying to kill us across parts of Minnesota.
Blizzard warning
It's a full-blown blizzard in the Red River Valley Monday. Subzero temperatures and blowing snow leave little doubt as to why this is blizzard country.
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Winds howl over 40 mph across most of western Minnesota and the eastern Dakotas today. Travel is not for the faint of heart. Or the unprepared.
Including the cities of Moorhead, Breckenridge, Valley City,
Fargo, Lisbon, Enderlin, Gwinner, Milnor, Forman, Rutland,
and Wahpeton
709 AM CST Mon Dec 31 2018
...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS
EVENING...
...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING
TO NOON CST TUESDAY...
* WHAT...Blizzard conditions. Very cold wind chills expected.
Additional snow accumulations of up to two inches. Winds
gusting as high as 40 mph. Wind chills as low as 40 below zero
expected.
* WHERE...Portions of west central Minnesota and southeast North
Dakota.
* WHEN...For the Blizzard Warning, until 6 PM CST this evening.
For the Wind Chill Advisory, from 6 PM this evening to noon
CST Tuesday.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Plan on slippery road conditions.
Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility.
The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening
commute. The dangerously cold wind chills could cause
frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.
Winter storm warning
Heavy snow is the issue across much of central and northeast Minnesota. Snowfall totals already reached 3 to 5 inches around Duluth. A big band of 4 to 8 inches-plus looks likely from Morris through Brainerd to the North Shore by late Monday night.
Including the cities of Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Pine River,
Brainerd, Hill City, Aitkin, Duluth, Pine City, and Hinckley
156 AM CST Mon Dec 31 2018
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...Heavy snow. Additional snow accumulations of 4 to 7
inches. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph.
* WHERE...Southern Lake, South Cass, Crow Wing, Northern Aitkin,
South Aitkin, Carlton and South St. Louis and Pine Counties.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM CST this evening.
Wind chill advisories
I saw air temperatures of minus 36 Monday morning in Alberta, Canada, near the core of this inbound air mass.
Temperatures will reach minus 20 in northwest Minnesota Monday night. The Twin Cities will flirt with zero New Year's morning and may dip a few degrees below zero Tuesday night. Wind chills hit minus 40 in the Red River Valley.
Including the cities of Alexandria, Long Prairie, Little Falls,
Morris, Glenwood, St Cloud, and Benson
200 AM CST Mon Dec 31 2018
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING...
...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING
TO NOON CST TUESDAY...
* WHAT...Snow and blowing snow with very cold wind chills
expected. Additional snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches. Winds
gusting as high as 35 mph. Wind chills as low as 35 below zero
expected.
48-hour cold snap
This air is cold, but it's a glancing blow. Temperatures rebound right back into the mid- and upper-30s by this weekend.
El Niño December
This December was brought to you by El Niño. We enjoyed/endured 15 days at or above 32-degrees this month in the Twin Cities.
The Twin Cities ran six degrees warmer than average this month. Duluth was seven degrees warmer than average. Parts of northwest Minnesota ran eight to nine degrees warmer than average.
The December temperature departure map below comes via the Midwest Regional Climate Center.
January thaw
Our December thaw rolls right into January after our brief arctic adventure. The jet stream continues to blow in from the Pacific next week.
Temperatures will run well above average into mid-January. That virtually locks in a milder than average winter across Minnesota this season.
We're halfway through meteorological winter by Jan. 15. Meteorological spring begins March 1. I'm sure we'll see additional cold and snowy outbreaks this winter. But overall this winter should go down significantly milder than average.
Stay tuned.