THE DOG DAYS OF DECEMBER?

Okay... maybe a little dramatic. But we are headed toward the coldest time of the year (climatologically speaking) and temperatures are going to be anywhere from 5 to 15 degrees above normal the next couple of days. Just today it started out with light snow/flurries in my area and temperatures climbed to near 40 degrees in the afternoon!

Even at 5pm as the sun was setting temperatures were still in the 30s and 40s in parts of the Midwest. Other parts were close to 0... where there is snow on the ground in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Now even warmer air will move in for Saturday.

Temperatures may even be a couple of degrees warmer considering how today went. This is thanks to strong southwesterly flow at the surface and a ridge building in.

This ridge will largely dominate the Midwest through the weekend and into early next week. Here's a look at the temperature departures the next six days:

Blowtorch! (At least by December standards) Temperatures are going to be mainly in the 30s and 40s during this time. It is going to be mainly dry during this time. One weak disturbance will move through the area Sunday and may lead to a few showers:

Seven day precipitation totals look like this:

Pretty lean. Enjoy the mild weather while it lasts... we'll likely have to pay for it later.

RK