Driving force
Image of the GFS forecast position of the jet stream at 6PM CST on Wednesday. The strong wind maxima indicated by the red color, exceed 100KTS. One jet streak is about to sweep into northern Mexico, while another stronger jet is diving southeast off the Pacific Coast.
These jet streaks play a big role in spinning-up the weather at the surface. They work to distribute thremal energy in the atmosphere, plunging cold air south, or transporting warmer air north.
For the time being enjoy the rather quiet weather pattern the next thirty-six to forty hours. A push of milder air over the dense snowpack has the potential to initiate some freezing drizzle and fog on Wednesday night and Thursday.
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Temperatures should climb above the thawing point on Thursday, thus precipitation should be in the form of just rain in southeast Minnesota during the afternoon.
Here's a graphical forecast from the Chanhassen NWS issued Tuesday morning. Note that they indicate even the second low pressure may be close enough to eastern Minnesota to produce a mixture of rain and snow in the Twin Cities on New Year's Eve.
CE