Acclimation is the key… It happens every year. The first cold snap of the season brings the water cooler chatter to a resounding consensus of cold weather loathings. We’ve just enjoyed one of the warmest and driest (least snowy) Novembers on record, so these next few days will be a correction or transition period for us. Meteorologists have had it easy for far too long, the weather maps were way too quiet and we can finally take things out of autopilot mode. Now that we’re cold enough for snow, combing through the data is a little more interesting. We are still looking for that first big wallop and I don’t see any major dumpings any time soon. The sleds stay put for now, but Arctic air is leaking out of the polar regions with some frequency, so many will be happy to see ice forming on area lakes and ponds over the coming days (still way too early to be safe) and ski slopes, anxiously waiting, will finally get those snow machines cranking at full steam… Hello winter.
8 to 14 Day Temperature Outlook:
Latest guidance shows a large chunk of Arctic air rotating around the Great Lakes/Hudson Bay, which will send waves of at or below normal temperatures into our backyards here in the Upper Midwest. The 8 to 14 day temperature outlook (which takes us into the 2nd week of December) has us still in the below normal temperature category.
Short Term Weather – Thru Friday
The cold air will stay with us through the rest of the week along with clouds and scattered, wind-whipped, flurries. See animation here. No accumulation is expected, but this cold blast will bring the first real threat of Lake Effect Snow to the Great Lakes. Living in Duluth, MN for 4 years of my life, lake effect snow was an interesting phenomenon to forecast. The lake machine and snow bands (tentacles) will be capable of several inches of snow over the coming days downwind of each of the 5 Great Lakes. The image below shows an intense lake effect event on December 5th, 2000
An event like this is not anticipated, but images like this may become more common place as the Arctic air continues to spill south of the international border.
Todd’s Outlook for greater St. Cloud
Today: Gusty and colder with a few flurries in the air. High: 31
Tonight: Scattered flurries and colder. Low: 18
Thursday: Breezy and feeling quite chilly. Lot’s of clouds, a few flakes around. High: 23
Friday: Partly sunny, not as breezy, but still a few flakes. High: 22
Saturday: A few more peeks of sun, feeling like December. High: 24
Sunday: Partly cloudy. High 23
Monday: Partly sunny. High 23
