Warm week, rainy Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

Here’s your Tuesday evening forecast for December 19, 2023 from Minnesota’s Weather Authority and Meteorologist Wren Clair.

Good evening! Today was another warmer day for the Upper Midwest, with temperatures about 15 degrees warmer than yesterday evening. Today’s high temperatures were back into the upper-30s, about 10 degrees above average high temperatures. While we’re looking at cloud skies right now, our cloud cover decreases overnight. Winds are also already light and will stay so overnight into Wednesday. Some patchy fog and a few flurries are possible Up North overnight tonight, but I don’t expect that to be widespread or cause travel issues.

Thursday night into early Friday morning spotty light rain showers, even drizzle are possible. The light showers could mix with flurries at times, especially Up North. Some freezing drizzle could also be mixed in late overnight Thursday in Friday morning. While I don’t expect this to be widespread, we could have a few Friday morning slick spots, especially early Friday morning.

Temperatures continue to warm into the holiday weekend. Saturday’s high temperatures are in the mid to upper-50s. Christmas Eve will likely be the warmest on record over most of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Highs should get to 50° around the Twin Cities, with low to mid 40s farther north. Our best chance for precipitation returns Sunday afternoon first across western Minnesota as rain, which spreads eastward into Sunday night. Rain is likely Christmas day, with about half an inch of rain accumulation possible from Sunday PM through Monday early evening. The night of Christmas Day, we likely start to see some snow mix in first across western and northern Minnesota evening and overnight. There’s some potential for a light rain/snow mix or light snow for central and southern Minnesota into Tuesday morning.

Have a wonderful night!

Wren