Sunday, December 11, 2011

More Active Week Ahead

Todd's SCTimes Outlook for St. Cloud and all of Central Minnesota 


MONDAY: Cloudy with a chance of light freezing drizzle early (a light glaze and slippery conditions possible early) turning to light drizzle later. Winds: S 5-10mph. High: 36
MONDAY NIGHT:  Cloudy with lingering light drizzle or freezing drizzle possible. Winds: NNE 5mph. Low: 27.
TUESDAY: Still mild with some stubborn low clouds. Winds: E 5-10mph. High: 37
WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with wintry mix early, turning to rain. Chance of light snow late. Wind: Turning WNW 10-20mph. Low: 28. High: 35
THURSDAY: Windy and colder with lingering flurries. Low: 26. High: 28
FRIDAY: Partly cloudy and much colder. Low: 12. High: 20.

SATURDAY: More sun, but still cold. Low: 10. High: 24.

SUNDAY: Increasing clouds with a wintry mix developing late. Low: 15. High: 28




Moonset Over Lake Mille Lacs AM Sunday
This is a neat shot courtesy www.mnlakecams.com from the east side Lake Mille Lacs (looking west) early Sunday morning. You can see the near full moon shining and reflecting across an icy Mille Lacs Lake.
 

Cold Start to December
After the one of the top 10 warmest Novembers on record in the Twin Cities, December (up until yesterday) started off quite chilly. In fact, through December 9th, the average temperature in December in the Twin Cities was running a little over 2 degrees below average. The colder, sub-freezing, temperatures of late helped to produce a thin sheet of ice on many Minnesota lakes. Take a look at the image below from December 2nd to December 10th on Lake Mille Lacs (courtesy www.mnlakecams.com)

Safe Enough For Ice Fishing?
There were some VERY brave folks out on the lake as seen by the www.mnlakecams.com webcam yesterday. You can see ice across the lake, free of any substantial snow and the two black dots in the distance. Those black dots are portable ice houses that don't weigh as much.

REMINDER - THINK ICE SAFETY
Before you go walking out on any ice this season... REMEMBER that no ice is ever 100% safe! Also, at least 4" of ice is necessary for walking.
Here are some other ice safety guidelines from the MN DNR:

** Many ice drownings involve children.When your child is near the ice, you should be near your child
.**Avoid alcoholic beverages when you’re on the ice. They can make you feel colderand slow down your reaction time in case of an ice emergency.
**Carry two large nails to use as ice picks to pull yourself out if you fall through thin ice.
**Never drive on the ice at night.
**Avoid pressure ridges, and areas with current if you do choose to drive on the ice.
**Drive with your windows down and doors partially open to avoid becoming trapped if your car breaks through.



Near Term Concerns
The National Weather Service has issued a Freezing Rain Advisory from Midnight to 9am Monday for light freezing drizzle that will likely lead to a light glazing across roads and highways. Things will likely become very slippery overnight and have some impacts on the Monday morning commute.

Weather Conditions Thru 1pm Monday
Weather maps looks little ugly through early Monday afternoon. A light freezing drizzle episode in the morning hours may turn into just plain old drizzle during the late afternoon hours.
 
There is still a chance of a little light freezing drizzle overnight Monday, but things should improve through early Tuesday before our next more significant event slides in late Tuesday into Wednesday.

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