December deep freeze now, some moderation in sight; snow blankets 67% of nation.

Decembrrrr

There's no getting around it. Baby it's cold outside.

I am constantly amazed that we live in a State where temperatures have been as cold as -60 degrees and as hot as 114 degrees, yet somehow we've managed to build one of the most vibrant and thriving societies on the planet. Talk about the perseverance of our ancestors.

This week is yet another test of our endurance and cold weather survivor skills. The good news is 20s will feel like a hot front by Friday.

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Only in Minnesota.

1.7 inches snowfall at MSP Airport Sunday

3 inches current snow depth at MSP Airport

7.3 inches season to date snowfall so far (-5.8 inches vs. average)

10.5 inches snowfall on this date one year ago in 2012

66.9 percent of the USA now covered in snow

-8.0 degrees F temps so far vs. average in December at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

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Image: La Crosse NWS

Survivor Minnesota

My all time favorite afternoon drive radio guy said it best. 'Macho Weather.' That's what WCCO's Steve Cannon would have called today with his booming voice on the airwaves today.

Temps hover near zero, and wind chills will remain borderline dangerous today in the -20 to -30 degree range across most of Minnesota.

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Image: NOAA

Yes, we're Minnesotans. Yes we're tough. Yes, we expect biting, stinging cold in December. Blah, blah, blah.

Your face (and your kid's face) doesn't care how tough you are. Take care with exposed skin this week. Frostbite is  a real possibility. Be smart out there.

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Slow is the proper speed on icy freeways this week. Image: MNDOT

Black ice

What do you get when you combine an inch of arctic fluff and temps near zero? Roads so icy the Minnesota Department of Transportation calls them 'bulletproof.'

Sunday's 1.6 inch snowfall was enough to grease up the roads big time. When temps fall below about 10 degrees, MnDOT warns road salt just doesn't work so well. Expect icy roads until temps recover to near 20 degrees by Thursday afternoon.

Friday warm front?

It may not last, but Friday will feel pretty good. Temps will briefly recover into the 20s, before the next wave of polar air pushes south Saturday. The coldest morning? Wednesday when temps bottom out around -10 in the metro and -25 up north.

Here's the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Forecast System model on temps this week.

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Image" Weatherpsark

Snowy start to winter this year

A full 66.9 percent of the USA  is now covered  with snow according to NOAA's National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center. That's nearly 3 times as high as one year ago when 26 percent of the U.S. was blanketed. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas as far south as Dallas, Little Rock, Ark., Louisville, Ky., and the suburbs of Washington, D.C. these days.

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Image: NORHSC

Snow cover creates what meteorologists call a 'feedback loop.' The highly reflective nature of snow, called albedo, keeps temps a good 10 degrees colder than bare ground, and that modifies air masses to keep temps colder. Temps will moderate this week, but I don't see any big sustained warm ups in sight right now.

The GFS brings another shot of sub-zero air south the weekend before Christmas. We'll see.

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Image: NOAA via IPS Meteostar

Both NOAA's and Environment Canada's North American Ensemble Forecast System paint a colder than average bias into the Upper Midwest for the next two weeks.

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Image: Environment Canada

One indicator of medium range forecast temps is the so called Arctic Oscillation, or AO. The AO shows some signs of trending positive in the next two weeks. That usually means warmer weather for Minnesota, but the signal is not as strong or sustained as I'd like to see it.

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Image: NOAA Climate Prediction Center

You may hear some forecasters out there talking about a big warm up later this month. At this point, my money is on a colder than average December overall.

Stay warm Minnesota!