December snows and cold continue

December snows and cold continue:

Through nearly the first two weeks of the month, many climate stations have reported measurable snowfall on 5 or 6 days. Snowfall amounts so far for the month typically range from 3 to 8 inches, but there are a number of observers who have reported over 12 inches, including Litchfield, Ottertail, and St Joseph. Despite the frequency of snowfalls so far, very few if any climate stations have reported any record-setting daily amounts. Precipitation-wise (liquid water from melted snow), most observers report from 0.30 inches to 0.90 inches so far this month. A few climate observers have measured over 1 inch. Soils are pretty well frozen around the state, so the snow is remaining on the surface and accumulating. Most outlook models favor more snowfall accumulating through at least Christmas Day.

Temperatures continue the sharp trend below normal this month, as most climate stations report a average monthly temperature that is 7°F 10 12°F below normal. Some climate stations reported record-setting cold daily minimum temperatures over December 4th and 5th. Some of these included:

December 4th:
-27°F at Brimson
-20°F at Floodwood
-18°F at Waseca

December 5th:
-22°F at Embarrass
-15°F at Grand Meadow
-13°F at Jordan

Madison in Chippewa County reported a record-setting cold daily maximum temperature on December 3rd of just 10°F. Many climate stations have reported daily maximum temperatures only in the teens and communities in the north, like International Falls, have already reported 7 to 8 nights of subzero low temperatures.

Forecast models suggest that very cold temperatures will dominate most of the state through Monday of next week, with some dangerous Wind Chill conditions over the weekend. Then moderating temperatures closer to normal or above normal will prevail for a few days next week, before temperatures turn colder again.

Weekly Weather Potpourri:

Do you know of an individual or organization that has been working successfully in climate adaptation practices, operational strategies, or resilience planning endeavors? If so, it is time to nominate them for recognition. The Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership Program (MCAP) web site is accepting nominations for the 2026 climate adaptation awards. Nominations are open until January 16th of 2026. There are five categories to select from for nominating purposes. They are:

Individual
Collaborative
Organizational
Creative Climate Communications
Transformational

Past recipients can be viewed at the MCAP web site where the nomination forms can be found:

The Weather Underground web site offers a synopsis this week of the historic and record-setting rainfall in flooding in western Washington State this week. Many areas of northwestern and west-central Washington have measured 7 to 10 inches of rainfall over a 3-day period this week. North Bend in King County has reported over 12 inches, while Quinault in Grays Harbor County has reported over 18 inches of rain. This deluge has caused immense flooding on at least 12 rivers in the area, and in some cases, many have been evacuated from their homes. Daily rains are expected to persist for several days in some areas of western Washington, but in lighter amounts.

This week’s AGU-EOS Bulletin contains an interesting article about vertical ocean circulation in the Arctic Ocean. Two dynamic modes of vertical circulation are described: surface heat loss to the atmosphere causing cooler waters to sink to deeper depths; and mixing of melting fresh water discharge from ice flows and glaciers. In polar regions ongoing climate change will likely continue to affect these modes of vertical mixing and especially impact the south to north circulation of the North Atlantic Ocean.

MPR listener question

With December tracking so cold this year after having one of the warmest autumn seasons in state history, we were wondering how you think the average temperature for 2025 will rank historically for Minnesota?

Answer:

Lots of interest in this question from many listeners. Here is a breakdown of the monthly mean temperatures based on statewide averaging for this year (2025):

January-near normal
February-colder than normal
March-warmer than normal
April-near normal
May-warmer than normal
June-warmer than normal
July-warmer than normal
August-near normal
September-warmer than normal
October-warmer than normal
November-warmer than normal
December-colder than normal

When all is said and done, the year of 2025 will be about 2.5°F to 3.0°F warmer than normal for the statewide average and probably rank among the 15 warmest years in state history. BTW Cathy Wurzer will probably grade me on this prediction hen we talk next year.

Twin Cities Almanac for December 12th:

The average MSP high temperature for this date is 30 degrees F (plus or minus 12 degrees F standard deviation), while the average low is16 degrees F (plus or minus 13 degrees F standard deviation).

MSP Local Records for December 12th:

MSP records for this date: highest daily maximum temperature of 53 degrees F in 1968; lowest daily maximum temperature of-1 degrees F in 2000; lowest daily minimum temperature of -15 degrees F in 1879; highest daily minimum temperature of 37 degrees F in 1928; and record precipitation of 0.61 inches in 1886. Record snowfall for this date is 4.6 inches in 1941.

Average dew point for December 12th is 9°F; the maximum dew point on this date is 49°F in 1968 and the minimum dew point on this date is -19 degrees F in 1962.

All-time state records for December 12th:

The state record high temperature for this date is 64 degrees F at Tracy (Lyon County) and Montevideo (Chippewa County) in 1913. The state record low temperature for this date is -39 degrees F at International Falls (Koochiching County) in 1995. The state record for precipitation on this date is 3.00 inches at Granite Falls (Yellow Medicine County) in 2006. A record 18.0 inches of snow fell near Altura (Winona County) in 2010.

Past Weather:

December 12th of 1913 was likely the warmest in state history. Sixty Minnesota climate stations reported record-setting high maximum temperatures that day, mostly in the 50s and 60s F. It was a sunny day, and there was little or no snow on the ground. Park Rapids and Itasca State Park both reached the 50s F that afternoon.

With snow depths of 1 to 2 feet across much of central and northern Minnesota, December 12th of 1995 was one of the coldest in history, with subzero morning low temperatures statewide. Many areas of the north reported a temperature of -30°F or colder. For Tower (St Louis County), they started the day at -30°F and reached an afternoon high of only -17°F.

Back-to-back winter storms brought heavy snowfall to many parts of southern and central Minnesota over December 10-12 of 2010. Many observers reported 14 to 20 inches of snow, and some place received well over 20 inches. There were many school closures and business closures and the Minneapolis Metrodome roof collapsd with the weight of the snow.

Word of the Week: Niphometrology:

Adopted by participants at the Western Snow Conference in 1942, this term was used to refer to the science of snow measurement. It is a composite formed from the Greek root words nipho meaning snow and metron meaning to measure. This term never really caught on in the scientific community, perhaps because it sounded a bit too academic for a process as simple as sticking a yardstick in the snow.

Outlook:

Very cold and mostly dry weekend, with subzero nights and many subzero and threatening Wind Chill conditions around the state. Lingering cold on Monday, then Tuesday will bring a warm-up, with some above freezing daily high temperatures in places. Warm too on Wednesday, but with a chance for rain or snow later in the day. Thursday will bring a transition back to normal or cooler than normal temperatures, with chances for snow in norther areas.