Winter’s halftime, January thaw arrives
We're halfway home.
January 15th basically marks the halfway point of winter in Minnesota. How are we doing so far? Much more tame than last winter.
A few halftime stats on winter so far.
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+5.1 degrees December temps vs. average at MSP Airport
-8.5 degrees January temps vs. average so far
+0.7 degrees vs. average overall so far this winter
13 days at or below zero so far this winter
22 days at or below zero by this date last winter (53 total by winter's end)
19.3" snowfall season to date (-8.1" vs. average)
Overall this winter is running "wildly average" for temps as we alternate between dramatic thaws and arctic invasions. Snowfall is running below average, with scant cover these days in west-central Minnesota.
Next: January thaw
Step outside today and you can feel the sea change. Milder Pacific air invades Minnesota the next few days. Sub-zero mornings are so last week.
Temps hit the 30s today and Saturday. Weak pushes of slightly cooler air attempts to push south in between, but highs still make at least the upper 20s to near 30 degrees which is still warmer than average. What is average anyway these days?
23 degrees - average high at MSP Airport
7 degrees - average low at MSP
The European model continues to run warmer than NOAA's GFS the next few days, and suggests a few days above 30 degrees.
Brighter days:
We're gaining 2 minutes of daylight each day now in Minnesota as we move toward late January. Sunset this Saturday is at 5:00 pm in the Twin Cities. You're noticing light in the southwest sky now on your drive home until around 5:30 pm on clear evenings.
Enjoy the brighter and milder days.