December 1st: One more mild day

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NWS wind chill chart. We will reacquaint ourselves later this week.

Call it a cameo. Indian Summer lite. One last day to stroll aimlessly and enjoy the balmy 40s to open December.

Meteorological winter starts today, and the weather will catch up with the calendar starting tomorrow. As if on cue, the season's strongest cold front will ooze colder air into Minnesota Wednesday.

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Meteorological winter begins after the wild roller coaster weather ride that was meteorological fall. The Twin Cities' fall temperature numbers are remarkable.

September: +5.5 degrees (11th warmest)

October: -5.5 degrees (4th coolest)

November: +10.2 degrees (2nd warmest)

Top 5 Warmest Novembers

Minneapolis

Average Temperature (°F)

Rank/Value/Year

1. 46.4° 2001

2. 42.7° 2009

3. 41.8° 1999

4. 41.2° 1899

5. 40.3° 1931

Period of Record: 1871-Present

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It is remarkable that November's average temperature of 42.1° was nearly warmer than October's average temperature of 43.2°. The Twin Cities NWS has a great wrap of November's wacky temperature pattern.

Get ready for a chilly slap in the face this week. NOAA's North American surface analysis shows sub-zero air pooled up in the Yukon Territory ready to move south. The air mass will modify some as it moves south, but we could see our first sub-zero overnight lows in northern Minnesota this week. It looks like we'll have to settle for lows in the teens in the Twin Cities.

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The colder weather pattern looks as if it will last a while. Temperatures may be colder than average in much of the Midwest for at least the first 10 days of December. Some moderation is possible as we approach mid-month.

PH