Dreaming of that White Christmas? It's been a long time since we've had any significant snowfall and there are a couple of chances for some snow this week.
First up is Tuesday afternoon in the Twin Cities, with a stronger system potentially on the way for Thursday.
Despite all of that? It's still looking more and more like we could be in for another brown Christmas. The Twin Cities are in line for a little snow late Tuesday into Wednesday but it doesn't look like it'll amount to much right now.
It's Thursday that has the potential for more significant snow. National Weather Service Meteorologist Ryan Dunleavy says those chances for a good shot of snow late this week seem to be heading north of the Twin Cities.
"Those who have the best chance of getting a white Christmas, again, it kind of lies around where we're expecting the most snow to occur, which would be across north central Minnesota and farther north," Dunleavy says.
WCCO-TV chief meteorologist Chris Shaffer says look out for a little nuisance Tuesday evening.
Maybe half an inch to an inch," says Shaffer. "It looks like it comes in in the evening tomorrow."
While north central Minnesota appears to be the target for a larger storm Thursday night, it does have the potential to shift southward however.
"There is a chance for some deviation with that track for the late week storm," says Dunleavy. "So, just want to make sure to stress that it's not just only north central Minnesota that's under the target here. Any shift south in the track would have our snowfall totals increase."
What are those totals? Right now it looks to be 3-6 inches north of the metro area according to Dunleavy.
As for a white Christmas? Right now that's more likely north of the Twin Cities. Shaffer says with the Thursday storm, parts of the metro could see 1-3 inches and it does appear to stay cold enough into Christmas week to keep that snow on the ground if it does materialize.
"Don't get too excited, but I think it's enough just to make it look like our little picturesque snow globe, and just enough to pack a snowball and toss it at your brother or something like that," Shaffer told WCCO's Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar. "Just enough to make a snowman and really pretty things up around here. That's what I'm hoping for."
It should stay below freezing into Christmas Eve, but there are hints of another warmup by Christmas Day with temps reaching the upper-30s and even 40s the last week of the year.
Meanwhile, expect highs in the 20s the rest of this week with colder temps in the teens for Friday-Saturday.
