Relatively mild this week; colder, more active pattern ahead
Even behind a cold front, we’ll be above normal this week
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Tuesday will be relatively mild with just slightly cooler conditions behind a front Wednesday and Thursday. The pattern becomes more active this weekend and colder eventually next week.
Relatively mild weather continues
Highs Tuesday will be relatively mild, still at least 10 degrees above normal in the 20s north to 30s south with clouds racing back in with a cold front.
Winds will also pick up from the northwest at about 10-15 mph, occasionally up to 20 mph.
Tuesday night will be chillier, especially north with lows in the single digits in northwestern Minnesota to 20s south.
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There will also be the chance of a few flurries and light snow showers, mainly in northeastern Minnesota Tuesday into Tuesday night.
Expect temperatures to be just a little cooler Wednesday, mainly in the teens and 20s. Those readings are still 3 to 5 degrees above normal, believe it or not.
If we can clear out enough, Wednesday night could be chilly. Lows are forecast to be in the teens south to near zero northeast.
We’ll remain near or a little above normal into the weekend when temperatures will warm up a bit more even, in the 20s and 30s.
A shift toward cold and snow ahead?
We look to finally see some real winter weather next week. It was inevitable. Even in an El Niño year, we will get some cold and snow, just less of it. Most computer models and official forecasts agree that while January will likely be milder than normal, it won’t be to the extent that December was.
A stretched and “disturbed” polar vortex will help to push some cold our direction next week, as visualized by the upper-level forecast pattern for today into late next week:
The outbreak of some cold air will also help to produce a more active pattern.
While pinpointing storm tracks several days or even a week out is difficult, most of us in the upper Midwest will see increased snowfall starting this weekend with the potential of a larger storm system early next week somewhere in the region.
Below is a total snowfall forecast through next Thursday:
Regardless, it will look and feel more like winter next week but may not be the brutal January weather we’re used to.