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Twin Cities January Summary
The first 20 days of January have been very warm and snowy. The average temperature is nearly +8F above average, which is good enough for the 8th warmest start to any January on record. We've also seen nearly 19" of snow, which is 12" above average and good enough for the 6th snowiest start to any January on record.
7th Wettest January on Record
The Twin Cities has also seen more than 2" of liquid this January, which is the 7th wettest on record so far.
Snow Depth
As of Friday, January 21st, the MSP Airport recorded 11" of snow on the ground. Interestingly, this tied for the 12th greatest snow depth on record for January 20th!
January Snowfall
Here's how much snow has fallen across the region so far this month. More than a foot of snow has fallen from Sioux Falls, to the Twin Cities and St. Cloud, which is nearly +10.0" above average! The MSP Airport has seen nearly 19" of snow this month, which is the 6th snowiest start to any January on record (through January 20th).
Seasonal Snowfall
Taking a look at snowfall since July 1st, many locations have seen above average amounts so far this season, but folks from near Sioux Falls to the Twin Cities and towards Duluth are nearly 20" to 30" above average through January 20th. 52.5" of snow has fallen at the MSP Airport, which is the 4th snowiest start to any season on record.
Twin Cities Weather Outlook For Sunday
The weather outlook for the Twin Cities on Sunday, January 20th shows near average temperatures with highs warming into the mid 20s under partly cloudy skies.
Weather Outlook on Sunday
Temps across the region on Sunday will warm into the 10s and 20s across much of the region, which will be close to average. Skies will be partly cloudy for much of the day.
Meteograms For Minneapolis
The weather outlook through the day Sunday shows temps starting in the mid teens with highs warming into the low/mid 20s under partly cloudy skies. Northwest winds will be around 5mph to 10mph.
Hourly Feels Like Temps
Feels like temps on Sunday will be in the teens throughout the day.
Weather Outlook
Weather conditions will remain active across the US over the next several days. A few storm systems will develop in the Southern US and lift northeast with areas of showers and storms across the Southern US with areas of snow farther north.
Extended Temperature Outlook For Minneapolis
The extended temperature outlook for Minneapolis shows fairly mild temps over the next several days. The warmest day will be on Monday with a high around 30F. Temps will gradually cool into the low/mid 20s as we approach the end of next week.
Extended Weather Outlook For Minneapolis
Quiet weather lingers through early next week with fairly mild temps. There could be a few flakes and flurries midweek with gradually cooler temps late week and into the weekend.
Extended Temperature Outlook For Minneapolis
The NBM extended temperature outlook for Minneapolis over the next several days shows fairly mild weather in place through the mid week before cooler temps start filtering in through the 2nd half of next week. The last few days of January could be much colder with overnight lows dipping into the subzero range.
850mb Temperature Anomaly
The 850mb temperature anomaly through next weekend shows bouts of milder weather sticking around for some in the Midwest through the first half of the week. However, much colder weather funnels in as we approach the end of the month.
8 to 14 Day Temperature Outlook
According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook shows cooler than average temperatures across much Midwest and West Coast by the end of the month and into early February. Warmer than average temperatures will be in place across the Southeastern US.
8 to 14 Day Precipitation Outlook
According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 Day precipitation outlook shows more active weather in place across the nation and once again across the Western US.
Quiet Next Several Days. Trending Colder Late Week
By Todd Nelson, filling in for Douglas
According to Climate Central, there were 18 billion dollar disasters last year across the United States. One of which was Hurricane Ian that caused extensive damage across Florida. High winds, storm surge and flooding were responsible for nearly 113 billion dollars worth of damage; the costliest hurricane on record. Climate Central is also naming 2022 as a year of disaster fatigue with the average number of days between billion dollar disasters falling from 82 days in the 1980s to just 18 days within the last few years. The ability to respond and recover is becoming more difficult due to a strain in available resources after such events.
January 2022 is running warmer and wetter than average in the Twin Cities. Interestingly, temps typically dip to at or below zero around 9 to 10 times in January. Hard to believe, but we have not yet seen a subzero overnight low yet this month! Extended weather models are hinting at colder weather late month with a few light snow chances.
Enjoy this mid-winter intermission. There's more to come.
Extended Forecast
SUNDAY: Partly sunny. Winds: WNW 5. High: 23.
SUNDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy and quiet. Winds: SW 5. Low: 13.
MONDAY: Mostly cloudy. A few PM flurries. Winds: WNW 10-20. High: 31.
TUESDAY: Peeks of sun. Winds: SSW 5-10. Wake-up: 18. High: 28.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy and quiet. Winds: NW 7-12. Wake-up: 15. High: 26.
THURSDAY: 50 shades of gray. Winds: WSW 5-10. Wake-up: 15. High: 24.
FRIDAY: Light snow and blustery. Winds: NW 10-20. Wake-up: 10. High: 21.
SATURDAY: Colder. Chance of light snow. Winds: NNE 5-10. Wake-up: 5. High: 16.
This Day in Weather History
January 22nd
1982: The Twin Cities receive 21.1 inches of snow, with a total of nearly 40 inches on the ground.
1936: Perhaps the coldest wind chill the Twin Cities has ever seen occurs on this day; it hits -67 with the new wind chill formula (-87 with the old formula). The temperature was -34 with a wind speed of 20mph. All traffic in the Twin Cities was severely hampered and a number of fatalities were caused by the cold.
Average High/Low for Minneapolis
January 22nd
Average High: 23F (Record: 51F set in 1942)
Average Low: 8F (Record: -34F set in 1936)
Record Rainfall: 1.03" set in 2018
Record Snowfall: 17.2" set in 1982
Sunrise/Sunset Times for Minneapolis
January 22nd
Sunrise: 7:42am
Sunset: 5:06pm
Hours of Daylight: ~9 hours & 24 minutes
Daylight GAINED since yesterday: +2 Minutes & 09 Seconds
Daylight GAINED since Winter Solstice (December 21st): ~ 37 minutes
Moon Phase for January 22nd at Midnight
1.4 Days Since New Moon
National High Temps on Sunday
Temperatures across the nation on Sunday will be a little cooler across the nation, especially across the Southern and Western US.
National Weather Outlook Sunday
The weather outlook for Sunday shows active weather in place across the Eastern US as another storm system moves through. A few strong to severe storms can't be ruled out in the Southeast along with heavy rainfall. There will also be areas of shovelable snow across the Great Lakes and into the Northeast.
National Weather Outlook
An area of low pressure will move through The Eastern US through the weekend with heavy rainfall and strong storms in the Southeast. Plowable snow will push through the Great Lakes and into the Northeast. Meanwhile, another batch of snow will slide through the Rockies.
Extended Precipitation Outlook
According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, the extended precipitation outlook shows heavy precipitation across the Gulf Coast States and into the Eastern US. Things will be a little drier in California for a change.
Snowfall Potential
According to the ECMWF (European model), heavy snow will be found across much of the high elevations in the Western US. There will also be decent snowfall potential in the across parts of the Central US into the Northeastern US.
Climate Stories
"Photos from space show beavers' move to the Arctic as disturbing as wildfire"
"Beavers are moving into the Arctic. Scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks are seeing thousands of new beaver ponds changing streams and rivers, and accelerating climate change. The effects are so dramatic they can be seen from space. Climate change is allowing taller shrubs to move into the Arctic and beavers are following, according to UAF ecologist Dr. Ken Tape. "It's shocking, the places that they are," Tape said. "You go out to these windswept, tundra areas, and you just think, 'Really?'" Tape said he and colleagues have found beaver lodges on those unlikely treeless plains, with a few shrubs. But overall, the Alaskan Arctic is becoming a friendlier place for beavers. "There's more shrubby vegetation. Winters are shorter, and there's more unfrozen water in these streams, so we know that their habitat's improving," he said. Tape said American beavers are now rebounding from overtrapping in the past. But he has no evidence that they have lived in the Arctic before."
See more from Alaska Public HERE:
"Light Pollution Is Blotting Out the Starry Night Faster Than Ever"
"Since the industrial age began, light pollution has slowly transformed the night sky into a brighter scene that increasingly obscures our view of the stars, constellations, and other planets. Artificial lighting emanating from streetlamps, lit up buildings, dazzling advertisements, and a host of other sources can all cause an excess of luminescence that lingers into the night and produces what scientists call "skyglow." Nearly a third of the world—including 80 percent of Americans—is unable to properly see the massive glowing arc of the Milky Way galaxy due to skyglow. None of this is new, but it's happening at an astonishingly faster rate that we thought possible. A new study run by an international team of researchers has found that light pollution is causing sky brightness to increase about 7 to 10 percent every year—faster than the 2 percent per year increase that satellite measurements have originally suggested. The average human who could see about 250 stars in the night sky today will probably only see about 100 stars in less than two decades."
See more from the Daily Beast HERE:
"Here's why 2023 is one of the best years for stargazing"
"It's a new year and we start marking our calendars with upcoming events, travel to look forward to, family celebrations...and we can also pencil in a date with the sky. As NPR reports, 2023 is a great year for stargazing and appreciating other celestial happenings—and here are some of the highlights. Just this weekend, on January 22, Saturn and Venus will be close to each other, both visible to the naked eye. And about a month later, by March 1, Venus will have ambled over to Jupiter: again, two discernible planets in close proximity. This summer, in August we'll get to experience a blue moon, which is really two moons: two full ones in one month. Why is the color blue tossed in there? According to Brittanica, the idea of the moon being blue is as preposterous as a cow jumping over it—it's simply a way to express how rare a blue moon is, by calling it impossible. (But a blue moon actually occurs every 2.5 years, so it's not impossible or rare)."