We likely won’t be setting any weather records, but the forecast for this week is still remarkable.
“It’s going to be much warmer than normal,” said Tom Hoverstad, scientist with the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca. “To set records for this time of year, we’d have to be in the 60s. I don’t know if we’ll get that warm.”
Instead, highs will be in the mid 50s come Thursday, weather experts agree.
The light dusting of snow some area residents were surprised with on Monday night was the last we’ll see of the white stuff for “the next several days, if not a week plus,” said Brent Hewett, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Chanhassen.
“We’ll see temperatures cool back down closer to normal on Saturday and over the weekend. And they’ll stay closer to our seasonal mid 30s for the foreseeable future after that for the next week or so.”
Hoverstad said we had one of our driest Novembers on record and that trend is continuing.
“This week it’s going to be much warmer than normal,” he said. “I don’t see any snow in the forecast. But to set records at this time of year, we’d have to be in the 60s.”
Blue Earth County remains “abnormally dry” with surrounding counties being abnormally dry and/or in a state of moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which was updated Thursday.
Our highest December temperature on record was 62 on Dec. 16, 2021, Hoverstad said.
“I don’t see any precipitation in the forecast at all,” he said. “It’s going to be warm and dry. It’s been very dry. My hands are already getting dry so we’ve had very dry air.”
The whole state is wondering if we’ll have a white Christmas, Hewett said.
“It’s dry and mild, which we’ll take this time of year,” he said. “Some people really want to see some snow before the holidays. Having spent five winters here in Minnesota, in the Upper Midwest, I know we’ll always see snow and cold at some point.
“We’ll take warm and dry. It’s Minnesota. Cold and snow are still coming.”
Sam Schneider, owner of Schneider Property Management in Mankato, said his snow removal and salting business is slow to get going this year compared to past winters.
“They’re saying we’re not supposed to get as much snow here as we did last year but we’re hopeful you know?” Schneider said. “Last year we had done snow removal by now.”