Therapeutic Thaw

It's nice to hear the music water makes dripping from the gutters and running down the downspouts in January.

The mercury hit 41 in the Twin Cities Sunday. That's the first time in nearly 7 weeks we have been that warm. The last time was November 20th when we also hit 41 degrees in the metro. With more sun, Pine River, Grand Rapids and Canby hit 46 Sunday.

A brewing storm, pulled incredible warmth north. It hit a record 60 in Chicago Sunday. St. Louis and Okalhoma City basked in the 70's.

Highs Sunday

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

Our January thaw this year is welcome in many respects. People were out in droves Sunday walking and soaking up the afternoon sun & warmth. Our roofs get a chance to melt away some of the snow, reducing the weight load and potential ice dams.

The outdoor rinks take a hit, but here at the weather lab a section of my driveway succumbed to the "ice arena" effect. As we hit 41 it turned to slush, but them refroze from below even with air temps above freezing as the ground temps are much colder. Keep an eye out for icy conditions this morning with refreeze.

A split storm will bring rain to southeast Minnesota and down to Chicago where 1 to 2 inches will fall on frozen ground and rivers, causing flooding. Look for 2 to 4" of snow in northern Minnesota by Tuesday.

And enjoy one more day of dripping downspouts in the metro today.

PH