Messy Monday clipper; scary California pyrocumulus
Perfect timing right? When possible, messy clippers like to arrive during Monday morning rush hour. Like Monday mornings aren't already hard enough?
Here's a look at the ill-timed mess that rode Interstate 94 into the Twin Cities earlier this morning.
Clipper sails east
Our Monday weather culprit low-pressure center sails off to the east Monday. Look for our occasional snow/sleet/icy mix to taper off around midday. Hopefully the afternoon commute is better.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Here's the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model through Monday night.
Lake Winnipeg breeze
Gusty winds funnel in behind the clipper Monday. Check out the wind map from earth.nullschool.net. Expect gusty northwest winds to pick up this afternoon as the low zips by.
Cool quiet week ahead
Temperatures are still running +5.6 degrees vs. average at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport so far this month. This week hovers a few degrees either side of average across Minnesota. Average high and low in the Twin Cities this week are 28 and 13.
The weekend is trending milder. I could see 40 degrees in or close to the Twin Cities Saturday afternoon.
No big snow in sight
After Monday, I don't see any big snow in sight for the Twin Cities and the southwest half of Minnesota just yet.
A few more clippers sailing by may cobble together a few inches of snow for northeast Minnesota in the next one to two weeks.
Here's NOAA's Global Forecast System accumulated positive snow depth change map for the next 10 days. Keep in mind, snow storms can develop rather quickly on the maps a few days out this time of year.
Unremarkable cold
Last week was mostly colder than average. But overall temperatures may run a few degrees above average as we move deeper into December. We may pick up another cold surge as we approach Christmas. Here's NOAA's GFS 16-day trend.
Stay tuned.
Thomas Fire now California's 5th largest on record
The Thomas Fire continues to burn in unstoppable fashion. Check out this intense pyrocumulus mushroom clouds over Ventura Sunday.
The stats with this fire are astounding.
The fire is climbing the ladder of California's biggest fires.
Smoke may start blowing back into Los Angeles this week.