Minnesotans prepare for out of ordinary storm

Minnesotans are bracing for unprecedented December weather as strong storms move into the state from the Southwest.

Some residents in White Bear Lake were enjoying the warm weather.

"It’s weird. It happens once in a while so we take advantage of it," Bob Andersen, White Bear Lake resident, said.

As the sun shines and the snow melts, Andersen said topping 50 degrees in December is nothing short of a good day.

"I got up and I knew it was kind of warm and I was going walking so I said ‘I’m wearing my shorts,’" Andersen said.

Some business owners said the high winds could redecorate downtown White Bear Lake, but others are optimistic their decorations will survive the severe weather.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Meteorologist Nicole Mitchell has been tracking the historic storm headed for Minnesota.

"So with a record low-pressure storm, a lot of heat, and a lot of moisture that sets the stage for severe weather that we have never seen this late in the season," Mitchell said.

The latest that a tornado ever touched down in Minnesota is Nov. 17. It’s a record, Mitchell said, is likely to be broken.

Xcel Energy has crews on standby bracing for high winds that may knock down power lines.

It’s a situation that could be dangerous as temperatures drop overnight, but Xcel Energy officials said they’re prepared.

The company urges people to stay away from down power lines because they’re dangerous. They suggest building a home emergency kit and having phones fully charged just in case there’s an outage. Check out KSTP’s Severe Weather Guide here.

View Xcel Energy outages here.