Warm start to December; temps plummet next week
November is now in the books.
Thursday's warmth was enough to push our average November temperature to four-tenths of a degree above normal in the Twin Cities metro area:
November was our ninth warmer than normal month in the Twin Cities this year; only May and August were cooler than normal.
Twenty-four of the past 27 months have been warmer than normal in the Twin Cities.
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Our November snow total was only six tenths of an inch at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which is way below our 30-year November average of 9.3 inches in the Twin Cities.
Snow depth
There's still some snow on the ground in parts of northeastern Minnesota, according to the latest snow depth map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
December outlook
The December temperature outlook from the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center shows a slight tendency toward a cooler than normal December in Minnesota:
The outlook is for the average temp of the entire month, so some warm days and some cool or cold days can be expected as we go through December.
The highest chance of a cooler than normal December is shown over the Ohio River Valley.
The December precipitation outlook shows equal chances of a dry or wet December in Minnesota:
Weekend temperature trends
Our average high temp is only 32 degrees this time of year in the Twin Cities metro area.
We'll start December with above normal temps.
Friday afternoon highs are expected to range from the lower 50s in parts of far southern Minnesota to the upper 30s in the far north.
We might flirt with 50 degrees in the Twin Cities.
Similar highs are expected on Saturday:
I wouldn't be surprised if some spots in the Twin Cities touch 50 degrees on Saturday.
Sunday's highs are warm for early December, too:
The Twin Cities metro area could see upper 40s early Monday, followed by falling temps Monday afternoon, possibly reaching the 30s by late afternoon.
The metro area might top out around 30 Tuesday, and in the 20s Wednesday through Friday of next week.
Precipitation chances
Northeastern Minnesota could see some rain or snow showers Friday afternoon and evening. Saturday looks dry in most of Minnesota. There's a chance of rain showers Sunday afternoon.
Periods of rain are a good bet for about the southeastern half of Minnesota Sunday night and Monday, with some snow to the northwest.
Some flakes are also possible in southeastern Minnesota as the precipitation winds down Monday evening.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System model shows the potential precipitation pattern Sunday afternoon through Monday night:
The color chart to the right of the loop refers to the precipitation rate (mm per hour), not to the total amount of rain or snow.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.