Milder air holds down snow totals in the Metro

Watching many things in the weather lab overnight, but two things jump out that explain the lower snowfall totals. First, milder air, a concern all along, was drawn into this large circulation from the east and south of MInnesota. Temperatures climbed into the lower 30s and continue to rise this morning from the Twin Cities metro to Eau Claire.

The next wave of heavy precipitation, tracking north and northwest on radar, will likely result in a mixed bag of snow, sleet and rain from Minneapolis to Hayward. The air mass should remain sufficiently cold from about Hutchinson to Duluth to keep the precipitation falling as mostly snow.

The center of this large low pressure area remains over Iowa. Winds whipping up to 30 mph will be more likely in western and northern Minnesota as the low pressure tracks very slowly east.

National weather map for today

If you have travel plans for Christmas be prepared for changeable conditions on the roadways. In the Twin Cities, temperatures above freezing during the daylight should help main roads remain wet. Load up on windhshield washer fluid.

Graphical storm snowfall expectations from the National Weather Service

CE